Appreciation post: the "cover your butt" email saved me from a huge mess at work

I started doing this thing 6 months ago where after every meeting or verbal agreement, I send a quick email summarizing what we talked about. My boss actually told me it was "a bit much" at first, but last week a coworker tried to claim I agreed to take over their project by Friday. I pulled up the email chain from Tuesday and it clearly showed I said I was at capacity until the end of the month. The project manager backed me up because the written record was there. It's not about being sneaky or distrustful, it's just that people forget details all the time (including me). Has anyone else had a situation where a quick follow up email saved you from getting blamed for something?

2 comments

2 Comments

stellablack15d ago

That "a bit much" comment from your boss is interesting because it actually points to the real problem. People think a quick recap email is about being extra or micromanaging, but it's just basic record keeping. I had a similar situation where a vendor tried to claim we agreed to a 10% discount on a bulk order, but my email from the call clearly said "no discounts available on this pricing tier." They backed off immediately. The truth is, verbal agreements leave too much room for "I thought you said" fights, and one simple email saves everyone that headache.

sanchez.mary14d ago

Have you ever had someone gaslight you about what was said after a meeting? That little email is the only thing that stops them cold. Honestly, writing down just the key points is worth more than any phone call or handshake.