Had to choose between covering for my manager's mistake or letting a client find out, and I picked the first option which led to a whole new mess.

I covered for her by telling the client the project delay was due to 'unforeseen data issues' instead of her missing the deadline, but now they want a full technical report on those fake issues by Friday.

3 comments

3 Comments

joseph_hunt1mo ago

Covering for someone always seems like a good idea until you have to invent a whole fake problem. Now you get to write a report on data issues that don't exist, which is a special kind of homework. I guess the lesson is to never lie about anything you can't make a PowerPoint about. My own record for digging a deeper hole is pretty solid too.

spencer_davis761mo ago

Watching this happen at work makes me see it everywhere. People cover for a friend's bad date by making up a family emergency, then have to keep that story alive for weeks. It starts small but the upkeep always costs more than the original mistake.

emma7212d ago

The trick I learned was to admit the mistake right when the fake story got too complex. One honest "I panicked and chose poorly" cut through weeks of tangled lies for me. It was awkward in the moment but nothing compared to writing that report for a problem that never existed.