I have detected an alarming propensity for blaming various production disasters on those absent at my work. …
The client didn’t approve those proofs?
Must have been Sloppy Account Manager No 6… she’s on holidays you know and didn’t leave us decent instructions.
The job ran with the various streams mixed in together?
Must have been Dodgy Customer Service Consultant No 3 … she went on maternity leave and didn’t bother updating job instructions.
The work was held up in IT for an additional 48 hours longer than anticipated?
Must have been because the TL was off sick and didn’t sign off on the changes.
It’s endemic of the entire place and seems to pervade the whole process through the building – from the management, through IT, DP (ooh… still not going there!) to the production departments, mailing, despatch…. everyone. Seems like the done thing is to blame someone else (preferably absent) when job don’t get done.
You should have seen the look of absolute shock I got when I sent some instructions down to despatch that were wrong…. they bought it to my attention that I’d made a mistake and I said “sorry… I fucked up… have only been here a few weeks… will make sure they come down with the right shit attached next time.” You could have knocked them over with a feather they’re so used to everyone fobbing off the blame for every minute little cock up.
Well – I don’t mind acknowledging my fuck ups. Especially not on the little stuff. But… might adopt the company policy for passing the buck if I ever make a big boo-boo and end up costing the company $25,000 in additional postage like my colleague Miss Cheer did this week…. if that happens – I’m definitely gonna try and make it someone else’s fault.
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