Must not say ... I told you so....

[Twik]

This is perhaps a confusing issue. Goodness knows it seems to have confused everyone else. Except yours truly, who saw the train wreck coming.

We have one very big client who gets a frequent service from us (training, if you must know). They like to get their materials customized by participant name. Fine, but they also don't like telling us the names more than 24 hours in advance. 

The program we use for the customization is complex, and proprietary. Only one person in our office was able to print out the customized materials, due to the complexity of our computer setup and various access issues. And, of course, this person was selfish (jk) enough to want to take, you know, an occasional vacation.

Before he left, I mentioned to the other people involved that this was going to be a problem. I was told not to worry, that we would simply "make the customer give us the information at least a week in advance" so that they could be printed in another office, and couriered down to us.

So, for the class that is starting noon tomorrow, we got our information - at 2:30 pm today. Which meant that I had to come up with a jury-rigged system for created the customization without using the official program, or have no materials to the customer's satisfaction. And I can't even blow my own horn about succeeding, because that points out that the thing that management said was not going to be a problem was ignored by everyone else until it was a big problem.

My tongue is bleeding from clenching it in my teeth to keep from saying, "I *told* everyone this is *exactly* what would happen!" Can anyone think of a way I can spin this to be seen as "my, Twik is a resourceful worker, who deserves a pat on the back," rather than, "my, Twik likes rubbing in to her superiors and colleagues that she told us so"?

[bopper]

'Team, what I thought would happen happened, but we managed to make the customized material without special program this time.  Why don't we come up with a plan for next time that doesn't rely on Customer actually being reasonable? :-)  Maybe we can have cross training on the Program or something."

[sparklestar]

I cannot fathom why the company is allowing valuable intellectual property potentially walk out the door with the co-worker! What would happen if that co-worker got run over by a bus? They need to cross-train someone to do this task.

When you complete the job (so that it doesn't look like you are trying to shirk responsibility) ask what the procedure would be if co-worker quit or couldn't work for some reason and suggest cross-training.

[HollysCats]

So, for the class that is starting noon tomorrow, we got our information - at 2:30 pm today. Which meant that I had to come up with a jury-rigged system for created the customization without using the official program, or have no materials to the customer's satisfaction. And I can't even blow my own horn about succeeding, because that points out that the thing that management said was not going to be a problem was ignored by everyone else until it was a big problem.

You could always write up your jury-rigged system as a contingency plan for dealing with creating these customized materials at the last minute when your colleague isn't available, and then circulate that to anyone who might need to be aware of such a plan if a similar situation arises in the future.

[Sabbyfrog2]

See, at my job, I could totally get away with saying "I told you so." because that is our environment. However, I like bopper's response. I don't see why you can't just say "Hey, it happened like we thought it would. Let's make a plan so that when it happens again, we know exactly what to do." Make it a GROUP problem, and they might be more inclined to listen. 

[DigitalPumpkin46]

I cannot fathom why the company is allowing valuable intellectual property potentially walk out the door with the co-worker! What would happen if that co-worker got run over by a bus? They need to cross-train someone to do this task.

When you complete the job (so that it doesn't look like you are trying to shirk responsibility) ask what the procedure would be if co-worker quit or couldn't work for some reason and suggest cross-training.

POD  I think this is the time to toot your own horn - as in "Boss, Fortunately  I was able to avoid conflict this time, but I'm concerned about next time.  I've documented the procedures I used, but, honestly, they were rather tedious, and I think there's another solution here.  We need to train someone else/give someone else access/change our policy/whatever.  What are your thoughts on the issue?" 

[Craftymom]

Tell your boss that even the thermal nuclear warheads have two master keys...

[Twik]

Craftymom, indeed they do!

As to what would happen if co-worker got run over by a bus, we'd start from scratch, I suppose. We're not the most organized crew.

[Carnation]

You fixed it, so there's no need to come up with a solution.

At least that's what your superiors are thinking.

[Cyradis]

You fixed it, so there's no need to come up with a solution.

At least that's what your superiors are thinking.

This. In their minds it will only become a problem again if co worker with access and Twik are both out at the same time.

[Balletmom]

POD  I think this is the time to toot your own horn - as in "Boss, Fortunately  I was able to avoid conflict this time, but I'm concerned about next time.  I've documented the procedures I used, but, honestly, they were rather tedious, and I think there's another solution here.  We need to train someone else/give someone else access/change our policy/whatever.  What are your thoughts on the issue?" 

I like this.

And I'd risk sounding like "Here's my pat on the back" if necessary, to make this point known. It's a disaster waiting to happen.

[camlan]

POD  I think this is the time to toot your own horn - as in "Boss, Fortunately  I was able to avoid conflict this time, but I'm concerned about next time.  I've documented the procedures I used, but, honestly, they were rather tedious, and I think there's another solution here.  We need to train someone else/give someone else access/change our policy/whatever.  What are your thoughts on the issue?" 

I like this.

And I'd risk sounding like "Here's my pat on the back" if necessary, to make this point known. It's a disaster waiting to happen.

Pod. You might also address the problems that having to do this caused, "I was able, after several hours of trial and error, to get something that would work. In the meantime, I missed two phone calls from Big Important Client and the Allen Report, which you wanted for Monday morning, isn't going to be done until Tuesday at 5 pm. So while I found a solution, it is not a workable one and we need to get someone cross trained on this as soon as possible."  If you can figure out that it cost the company X number of dollars having you do this, that might also help to sell your message.

OP, I feel your pain. I once worked in a company that did a lot of similar, client-specific work and the owner did not see the value of cross-training at all. I did the best I could in my department to have a back-up person for every important client, but was very difficult, as the owner freaked out if she saw two people working on a project together. Not until two of our best employees left in the same month and we had no one but me in the entire company who could even begin to try to handle their clients' requests did the owner understand what I was getting at. And that was after I threatened to quit after working two 70 weeks in a row--40 hours on my regular work and 30 hours of client special requests. It was simply not humanly possible to continue doing that. And I couldn't hand off any of my regular work--no one else knew how to do it. Disaster in the making.

[ShadowLady]

Don't downplay the effort that it took you to be able to "cobble together" the quick fix.  That makes it seem too attractive a solution if it sounds easy.

[TootsNYC]

So, for the class that is starting noon tomorrow, we got our information - at 2:30 pm today. Which meant that I had to come up with a jury-rigged system for created the customization without using the official program, or have no materials to the customer's satisfaction. And I can't even blow my own horn about succeeding, because that points out that the thing that management said was not going to be a problem was ignored by everyone else until it was a big problem.

You could always write up your jury-rigged system as a contingency plan for dealing with creating these customized materials at the last minute when your colleague isn't available, and then circulate that to anyone who might need to be aware of such a plan if a similar situation arises in the future.

I agree--this is a nicely non-confrontational way to toot your own horn.