Training Meghan

You are early for work as usual. Equally as usual your secretary Meghan is not yet in. She'd be at least twenty minutes late you think, based on her history. You shake your head in irritation and hang up your coat before sitting down at the desk and checking your calendar for the day.

It looks to be a reasonably quiet day, although it is always possible that Meghan had forgotten to write in some appointments. You think about how many mistakes Meghan makes. Yesterday she had forgotten to save an important letter on her computer and had to re-type the entire thing, which meant it was late. The day before that she had misfiled a contract and it took the rest of the day to find it.

You have tried being patient with her, hoping that she would improve, but she doesn't seem to catch on. Not that she doesn't try. In her eager, kittenish, clumsy way she tried, but she just keeps messing up. You would never have hired her, but she got assigned to you because she was the grand-daughter of the senior vice president of the company. Obviously the old man knew what a nitwit she was or he'd have had her work directly for him. Instead she got shuffled off to you. You have spoken to him about her twice, the last time a week ago, but he has asked you, as a personal favor, to be patient with her for a while longer.

It's a frustrating situation. You're a senior account executive, successful enough to command a six figure salary, a corner office and the other trappings of success. A townhouse condo, a pretty wife, a sleek sports car. Being stuck with this incompetent girl, however, has the potential to put a crimp in your career because she makes you look bad. You haven't put more than fifteen years into your career to have it even slightly derailed by something like this. You're keenly aware that you just turned forty, and your ambition hasn't diminished at all.

Your train of thought is interrupted by the sound of Meghan arriving. She always came in with a flurry of activity as if to make up for the fact she was late. Only by ten minutes today you noticed. Big improvement.

You weigh whether it's time to deal with this.