To be annoyed at my colleague?

[PandaAndLionRoar]

I was in an all day meeting with the board/C suite in work today. My colleague/friend was in work but not in the meeting with me. It was her last day before MAT leave and it was coming up to 5pm and I was still in my meeting with the board so she came to the meeting room and interrupted my meeting by knocking on the door and then asking for me and saying “I’m sorry to interrupt but can I have a quick world please, it’s urgent”. It turns out she didn’t have anything urgent that she needed me for but she just wanted to say bye to me before she goes on MAT leave and knew that I wouldn’t be out of my meeting before 5pm when she left the building so she decide to interrupt my meeting to say bye instead. I feel a bit annoyed that she interrupted the whole meeting just to say bye to me whilst I was in a meeting with the board, fair enough if it was something urgent but it wasn’t. She could have just phoned me later to say bye if she wanted. AIBU to be a little annoyed with my colleague for interrupting my meeting just to say bye? She took me out the meeting room and just said that she just wanted to say bye to me before she goes on MAT leave and then we chatted for 2 minutes and that was it, nothing urgent at all!

It feels really arrogant as a term. I think where lots of leaders go wrong is they see themselves as superior/ elite and instead of motivating and enthusing people they rub staff up the wrong way. They don’t get the best out of people that way.

It’s a factual term which defines a group of people. Get a grip.

I can understand her wanting to say goodbye on her last day, was a big deal for her. I’d be surprised if you leaving the room for a couple of minutes would have much impact on your meeting.

I was about to say you're clearly not senior leadership yourself if you felt embarrassed and/or flustered and were questioned.

This could have been styled out as an exemplar for great teamwork and supportive culture.

No she wanted to say goodbye - consider it an honour - I'd love a friend like that

I'd probably be a little annoyed in the moment if she had another way of contacting you.

I have no idea why you're stuck on it enough to make a post.

Do you object to the concept of “board of directors”? Hey we can all be our own directors, man. Nobody needs to lead any board … what is a board, anyway. If we could all just freely associate, decisions would emerge naturally …

No it isn’t a ‘factual term’. It isn’t a fact. It’s a business speak phrase people have made up.

Have never heard the term 'c-suite' before. Would have guessed it referred to the hospital delivery room for women having caesarean sections but this thread has edumacated me. 🙂

😂🤣😫👍😖🤮🙏😎🤷‍♀️

Wow! Colleague values you enough to risk interrupting your important meeting to say goodbye and you're cross with her?

C suite is such an unfortunate term - tempting to add a few letters.

I agree with PP you could have just said she was leaving to start her mat leave.

I'm shocked at how many people are turning on the OP because they don't get the corporate world, and refuse to believe her that leaving the meeting was a big deal for her, as it pissed of the senior executives and Board, which is undoubtedly why they asked what the interruption was for. The OP has to deal with their egos, and her colleague should have been aware of this.

There are a lot of pps enjoying putting the boot into the OP while telling her she should have been kinder to her colleague who was leaving.

C-Suite is Americanism for Executive Board Level. US folk like their 'Chiefs'.

OP, I'd be annoyed as well.

What role does she do? She probably does not interact with management and has no idea how to behave. Junior staff can work in their bubble. Some things can wait. This is one of them.

How bloody pretentious can you get?

It sounds like a story that's missing the punch line. So your friend/colleague interrupted a very important meeting for two minutes and... Happened what? Nothing. Literally nothing.
The next week will be another day in the office and then another, and then another, and then months, and then years...

Your colleague was somewhat unprofessional but that mental note is of very limited use as there will be zero professional contact between you two in the near future.

Get off your high horse.
It’s only a meeting. Nobody died.

It's over and done with now.
No harm done. Let it go.

Bless you OP

Is this the first time you've ever been invited to a meeting?

Once you get used to them, you'll realise people step outside for all sorts of reasons.

I am sorry it offends you.

Horrified at the pile-on the OP is getting here.

Are you a bit over-excited at being involved in a board meeting and want your colleagues to appreciate how important you are?

It is different to step out of a meeting (where you can control the timing and choose an opportune moment) and be pulled out for a spurious 'urgent' reason.

C-suite is a really normal term to use within international organisations.

They literally decide your salary, bonus and career prospects, so yes they are pretty important to me.