Lessons in Tact: Tact in the Workplace

Speaking to a manager in my department, who has of late been out of the office more often than she is in, the following question escaped my lips before I could call it back:

"You're never here anymore. How do you still have a job?"

What I meant to say was more along the lines of:

"You must be very valuable, to be able to take so much time off and still be considered one of the better managers."