Never criticise a woman until you've walked a mile in her shoes

Ambitious, of Fenchurch, asks "Can I do a woman's job as well as her?"

You know the old Chinese saying? Never criticise anyone until you've walked a mile in their shoes?

I know what that means now.

Isabella, our marketing director, is going on maternity leave.

Having spent my life taking orders from her, I was convinced I could do her job.

So I went to see Debbie, the HR lady, to make discrete enquiries. To my horror, she got straight onto her friend on the phone.

"Hi, Isabella," she says, "I've got someone here who wants to step into your shoes."

When they'd both stopped laughing, they seemed to be cooking up some scheme, where I'd have to "shadow" my boss, watching what she does, and emulating it.

Apparently, being a marketing goddess isn't just about "talking crap in meetings" as I'd put it. Ninety per cent of the job is the preparation. How you look, what you wear, how you present yourself. I fear I may have to pay for my lack of respect.

"Are you prepared to spend a week in my shadow?" She asked, when I was summoned to her office. "Could you literally step into my shoes tomorrow?"

Well, I'm about to find out.

Does anyone have any tips?