The bitter pill...

Hmmm. So I have a professional situation and I am quite jacked, euphemistically speaking. A client has gone and bitched about me to my boss and well... to make matters interesting she happens to be the relationship manager.
You see the background is, I was trying to be the good person. I took a decision which was more emotional than cold calculated rational and went out of my way to help the client. Now 11.59 min situations... data crunching happening... no real time for quality checks coz his people from the region were breathing down his neck and he wanted the information. So I gave it to him... took shortcuts and bypassed the process and gave it to him where he needed it.
So what's happened? A few data points do not match the norms of conventional wisdom. He has come back with a ruckus on unprofessional job done, quality of service.... all nicely worded and sent to my boss in a letter.
So I have this big meeting tom where I will be questioned on why I did not choose to follow the process. I will be told exactly what I did wrong... and how have I jeopardised the relationship. I will also talk about the frantic calls I had made to the senior and my boss... which had gone unanswered... but then its my job to offer solutions and not situations. Oh... I was also on leave by the way!! After a year prolly...
My friend here had the most interesting thing to say... He listened to me patiently and said well... If your boss says tom that you went out of your way to help a guy and in the end have achieved a letter of commendable unprofessionalism and have not safeguarded the interests of your organisation as well.... she just might be right!
Lesson 1: Save your ass! Keep things you say to people in writing over mails... that is the only reason why God made emails. They will U-turn on what they said over the phone... always. Your colleagues will do it. Everyone who needs to find a scape goat will!
Lesson 2: Assert! Clients or colleagues... tell them what you can and can not do. Stop bending over your back to get someone else data in time so that he/she does not get screwed. Ensuring his happiness is not why you were born... really! Now say it 10000000000000000000 times till you believe it.
Lesson 3: No body dies. In consulting no one will die if something does not get done when they say they need it. Specially if it is a delay they caused... so relax! Go home on time. Do what you can do peacefully. Do not miss dance classes! Ever!
Lesson 4: Loop your boss. Always ensure you keep your boss in loop. Don't worry about unnecessarily flooding her inbox. Do not be considerate when you 'know' that as a boss she might never stand with or for you in a client situation. Be prepared! For a situation where you can rely on lack of feedback, support, guidance... necessary inputs... anything that dint come to you in time and that could have avoided the fuck up. LEARN TO SHARE ACCOUNTABILITY!!!!! Instead of being the 'Hey-dont-you-worry-I-am-there-for-you' IDIOT!!! (Gawwwddd I can't believe it myself now.... I mean how dumb am I!!)
Lesson 5: Pick up the art of beautifully scripting emails which can fuck people later if they do not keep their word. That is why God put you in consulting. There's got to be a reason why co'nsulting' and i'nsulting' have so much in common rt? You can not blame others for being a retard and not picking up the cues when all this was staring you in the face all the time.
Lesson 6: People are different. Vindictive. Vengeful. Destructive. Just because you can not pick up the phone and scream at someone... just because you always let people have an exit route in a confrontational conversation... just because you can never ever fuck someone's happiness by saying something nasty, mean and bad to them... just because you are always ready to give people the benefit of doubt, please don't assume they will return the favour. Its as stupid as assuming the lion will not eat you coz you happen to be vegetarian!

And maybe... just maybe tom, I will open my mouth and say what I need to say to her. I will open my mouth and tell her the 'situation' and the 'volition' and defend my turf. I am hoping I will not sulk and go dumb on her... but stay in the talk and 'talk back' like a consultant. And may be I will have a better story to tell tom.