I had to choose between covering for a coworker or telling our boss the truth.

My teammate, Sarah, missed a huge deadline on the Denver project last week. I could have just said she was sick, but I told our manager she forgot. It was super awkward, but now our team has a better system for tracking dates. Has anyone else had to make a call like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

skylerh501mo ago

Wait, did you actually tell your boss she "forgot"? That feels a little harsh. I probably would have just said she missed the deadline without giving a reason, since the real fix is the new tracking system anyway.

schmidt.willow5d ago

The fix is the real point" yeah that hit me. It's like we spend so much time smoothing things over but that just kicks the can down the road. I've noticed it everywhere, not just at work. Like at my gym, someone left weights all over the floor, and everyone just moved them instead of saying anything. But then the next week it happened again. Finally a guy just said "someone left these out" and it stopped happening. Same with friends who are always late. If you just say "hey you forgot" or "you're late" it's awkward but they actually pay attention. Gentle truth beats polite covering every time, it just sucks in the moment.

quinnbailey1mo ago

Man, I've been the coworker who needed covering for. Honestly, telling the truth is brutal but it forces the real fix, like you said. My own shame over a missed deadline is what got our team to finally use a shared calendar.