To object to this feedback at work?

[Housewoes23]

I work in an office dealing with outsourced work for clients. Our tasks are quite varied and there is a 'bible' of protocols and guides on the intranet to follow.
Twice in the past couple of weeks I've been pulled up for things I've done 'wrong'.

Both times,I've followed what is written on the guide for us to use.

I am a more annoyed about what I was pulled up on a few days ago. I followed a guide for dealing with a particular document we get now and again, just to make sure I didn't forget anything. It is written in a particular order numbered 1,2,3 etc. I know how to do it really but I am quite careful and wanted to ensure I didn't miss anything.

I was told the order I had done it in was incorrect. The order I'd followed from the guide.
I am particularly annoyed that when I pointed out that this is what I'd done, my manager (relief manager, same position as me just covering) said 'Well I know but I don't agree with that order and you have to use your common sense'.

Thus implying that I have no common sense. And should also know that the guide we are told to use is wrong.

Aibu? And also what should I do? I'm in a union I think cannot remember to be honest. But I'm a bit hurt by this.

Drop the person who pulled you up an email - something along the lines of “ further to our conversation this week, I’d just like to clarify, you don’t want me to follow the guide, you want me do step 3 before step 1. Could you please confirm that I have understood correctly?”

Keeps it logged in case you get pulled up further down the line for not sticking to the guide.

Who writes the guide? I'd be tempted to go one step further and email your manager and say "following our conversation where you advised that step 3 should now be done before step 2, would you like me to update the guidance document to reflect this so that everyone is clear on the process?"

@CastleCrasher I have offered to do it before! For a completely different, unrelated reason though. I may do so again.

I’d follow up by email and confirm that further to your conversation this task is now to be completed in this order, and offer to update the guide to avoid any future confusion. If that doesn’t get anywhere, can you speak to whoever is responsible for the guides? I’d worry that the relief manager is being petty and looking for excuses to show off their new authority so you should try to cover yourself by getting it in writing in case you get pulled up for not following the guides next week.

@ShyTown I definitely will do that. I think she was wrong to tell me I have no common sense for not doing it in a different order to what I've always done... that the thing we're supposed to refer to says to do.