AIBU?
AIBU for thinking that this implies a delay?
fionasox · 11/12/2019 10:45
Sorry if this is a bit confusing, trying to be deliberately vague to not sway opinions! Arrangements being made between 3 people A, P and X.
X informs A that P will be in touch to organise a meeting.
Weeks later P says to X "A has only just got back to me"
Does this suggest that A has delayed responding to P or that P had only just started to make the arrangements?
Dyrne · 11/12/2019 10:52
When I do this it’s because I sent the initial email to the person; they didn’t respond; and I was too busy to chase them / forgot entirely. So the implication is that P sent the email to A weeks ago and A has only just got back to them.
If P only just got around to emailing A and A responded promptly then P should have worded it differently, as it implies that A is at ‘fault’ when really it’s P.
I would say it’s not a massive deal either way - clearly the meeting isn’t that important if it can wait a few weeks before X queries it (I’m hoping it’s actually A’s job to schedule meetings on behalf of X otherwise X is a twat - I hate it when managers say “oh Dyrne can book the meeting” - err, no, I’m not a PA, I don’t have any more time than you do, even if you are senior to me!)
worriedmama1980 · 11/12/2019 10:53
I don't think there's any way to interpret that that doesn't suggest 'I've only just received A's info I needed to plan this meeting/event/whatever.' It is technically possible to say that and mean 'i only emailed A this morning and that's why I've only just got the info now' but that would be disingenuous at best.
The only way to read that is as A having taken a long time to respond, or P wanting to shift the blame to them in some way.
Dyrne · 11/12/2019 11:32
Why has it caused confusion though? Does it really matter why, unless you’re planning on taking disciplinary action against someone? Getting bogged down in the petty wording of an email isn’t going to get the project back on track - ignore who is at ‘fault’ for now, just get things sorted!
Dyrne · 11/12/2019 12:57
Ah after that update P is a twat then; especially if A is a colleague that got thrown under the bus rather than a client. “Only just got back to me” clearly means she wanted imply the fault was A’s. There are other ways to get out of saying “I forgot to arrange it”. “I have heard from A this morning” is much more neutral. P should get a bollocking for not only delaying the project, but for trying to say it was A’s fault.
Dyrne · 11/12/2019 13:30
Simkin makes a good point. Obviously P is definitely in the wrong but if I were a senior manager I would be seriously investigating why I seem to have had created the kind of working environment where people are so terrified of making a mistake they’re happy to drop a colleague in it rather than come clean. That’s the bigger issue here really.
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