Irritating work situation

[PassportPanicFuuuck]

Pretty minor in the scheme of things, but this sort of thing seems to happen quite often.

I don't want to be too specific in case anyone recognises the situation, but basically there is a weekly event and I wanted some of my clients to be involved. Over a week ago I emailed the two people who were likely to be organising this and was told that Person A was going to be in (sole) charge this week. Person B also received this email, so knew this as well. Once I had been told this, I only communicated with Person A so as not to clog up Person B's inbox as they are brand new to the job and so assimilating a lot of information.

This morning I received an email from Person B telling me off because my clients had shown up expecting to be involved and she had already organised other people to take part. She said I should have contacted her earlier about it.

I wrote back, reminding her of the history of the situation. I've received no apology and can't help wondering 1) Why similar things keep happening to me when I feel I've been well organised; 2) Why she feels like she can speak to me like that when she's only been in the job five minutes and I have done various things to help her settle in (not my responsibility, but she asked for my help).

I have not imagined that I communicated everything the organiser (Person A) needed to know in a timely fashion. There was no reason for me to think Person B would also be involved when I'd been categorically told it was Person A's job, and no-one asked me to copy in Person B.

Am I doing something wrong that's obvious to everyone except me?

Bump.

As you have already replied to B you will just have to wait and see if they respond.
Keep a record of all your interactions with B and monitor the responses from other exchanges with them.
Possibly raise it with your line manager and ensure all communications are clear.

Clog up b’s email next time. They were maybe trying to impress being new. You left them with no information.

B is my line manager!

Can you contact person A to find out what actually happened when your clients arrived? If they were there, why did they not remind B that they were in charge and had all the necessary information?

I shall, but I didn't leave them with no information. They knew what I was trying to organise from the first email) and they knew that Person A was in charge of the event so hardly a quantum leap to think I would have addressed any subsequent queries to him. I was never told that Person B was still involved with the organisation - or would even be there - so had no reason to keep her up to date.

Really I think Person A should have communicated better, but Person B should have checked with A before assuming I was the one who hadn't kept her in the loop.

Why didn’t person A communicate with either of you about the change?

My clients went directly to speak to Person B before the event started.

I've no idea why A didn't remind B that he had told me (and her) that he was organising it - nor why B went ahead and started organising things herself despite this having been stated.

They may not have been aware of it - I think Person B took it upon herself to make amendments without consulting with A, or with me.

Is A your peer and also a direct report of person B?

Sometimes you have to play dim.

But I don’t understand! I’m sure you said Person A would be taking the lead so I arranged all this with her. Can I just check, do you prefer to be cc’d in to all projects, whether or not you are heading them up?

No, I am external and A is slightly senior to B (B is a HoD and A is SLT).

Do you mean clients as in people who pay you to provide a service in business, or clients as in you provide a service to as in health and social care?

Yes, that's exactly how I'll play it next time.

As they are new, and your line manager, it might feel to them like you are going around them rather than through. It sounds like you need regular catch ups to make sure B feels clear on what's going on with your work as a direct report.

Yab a bit u. In corporate environments like it or not office politics come into play. If B is your line manager then just cc them, if they feel its clogging their inbox then they are an adult and can say. If they are new they are probably trying to make their mark, and if they were cc'd in at first you can sort of see why they assumed it wasnt going ahead.

Its not ideal but ultimately do you want to create an issue with your new manager? Finc out how she wants you to work with her an adapt your style to suit. Sometimes you hace to flex to get along, and pick your battles.

I was obfuscating a bit so it wasn't clear from the OP if anyone involved happened to stumble across this. My clients are actually pupils, but they do pay me in effect (i.e. their parents do).

I'm not really a direct report, and if B wanted to be copied in she could have asked at the point A wrote to me and her to say he was organising the event.

It's not corporate (although I realise I sort of gave that impression).

No, there was no reason they should have assumed it wasn't going ahead. When A wrote to me and B to say he was organising it he also said at that point that what I wanted to happen could be implemented.

You asked to understand what you might be missing. I think the bit you are missing is the relational part. B is your line manager, and is new. If things go around B then they will feel cut out, especially if cut around is you to someone above B. Having regular catch ups to update one another on projects seems like a small compromise.

Sounds like B felt out the loop and you also sound a tad resentful of B being new. Did you apply for B’s role too?

I think just copy them in going forwards.

My question was, "I want x to happen at y event. Who is organising this so I know who to liaise with?"

When A replied to say that it was him organising it, either party could have said at that point that I should liaise with both of them rather than just A, but neither of them said that. Nor did they say that B would be involved in the organisation in any capacity.

So you’re a teacher, there’s an event on, you wanted your pupils to be involved with something, asked the organisers, and told the pupils they would be without having it confirmed?

Ok so 'work' environment then - semantics! Clearly they did assume you didnt have clients, rightly or wrongly as they went ahead and planned something else.

Why not just request a meeting, explain your thought process and ask how they would like you to handle it next time. Sometimes at work, with your manager, you just need to nip it in the bud

Close, but not exactly. I was told from the outset that it would definitely be possible for the pupils to be involved, so it was me doing the confirming after I'd checked with the pupils. Which I did, twice by email and once in person.