Blowing things out of proportion

+ Sometimes, or all the time really, I feel it is not worth it to spend on crappy breakfast, esp at the airport. The stuff above costed me Euro7 at Schiphol Airport. It's a rip-off and it was just 2 plain croissants! This pic has nothing to do with the story below actually.

OK I have a story to tell. It is about work - unfortunately. Anyway, it is about how people can blow things out of proportion. It was my honest mistake, not even a typo, it was an honest mistake.

Well, I need to manage the delivery of information from a few vendors, that make them competitors yeah. Then, I sent emails to A and B, the 2 vendors. In one of the emails, I had included email address of B by mistake, when I was supposed to address only A. OK that was my mistake.

I was supposed to get updates from them since 10 days ago and then, up till today, they have delivered like 30% of the information when I need 100% by now. The people that I deal with are based in Dubai and Cairo. Goodness me. And now, A was accusing me that I did not take care of the sensitivity of the email and the content of the email etc. There was just AN EMAIL that I made a mistake on and I was gentleman enough to own up to it. I sent an apology email to everyone.

Things got out of hand - like someone in Sudan was attacking me. Enough the fact that I had owned up to it and he went on dwelling on it. Well, I said "We could have avoided the manic emails, if all of you are committed to sharing the information from day one. Yes it was my mistake and can we put that to rest so that we move forward. We have no choice but to move forward unless, you feel otherwise!"

I seldom make mistake like that. But, I could not avoid it. I am dealing with lotsa people with thousands of emails flying around. What do you expect me to do. At least I owned up to it and let it settle, keep your chin high and off we go - to the future. But I came to conclusion, these people, especially in this interesting part of the world and middle east, they like it this way - delaying stuff for no reason. I have noticed that. And the moment they realised that one point, I have committed the mistake, he was on and on about it as if he has testicular cancer because I fed him with contaminated Nile water! Even that, I will own up to it and say sorry.

Lads, after all, what's the fuss all about. It is only natural that I will be in touch with B besides A, since I need the best deal (in fact I talk to C, D and E!). I won't stick to one vendor. You think I am stupid?

By the way, it got me to ponder, if B had realised that there's competition from A, logically he'd be working his butt out to submit the response to my RFI. Instead, he kept on buying time and till today, I have not heard from B neither have I received complete information from B. In short, these people are total d*ckheads.