More reader advice: Lauren Perreault suggests: Although you asked this guy ("Desperate") if he had any documentation, I would also add the future advice to create a "Pearl Harbor" file. Any time your boss either leaves you to figure out the direction because he/she won't make a decision or anytime you feel you have been instructed to do something that seems a little odd, you write an email that says "per ou More reader advice:Lauren Perreault suggests:Although you asked this guy (“Desperate”) if he had any documentation, I would also add the future advice to create a “Pearl Harbor” file. Any time your boss either leaves you to figure out the direction because he/she won’t make a decision or anytime you feel you have been instructed to do something that seems a little odd, you write an email that says “per our conversation, I’m doing x, y and z”. Then print a copy, print a backup, save three electronic copies, or whatever you have to do to be sure that 3 days, 3 weeks or 3 years from now you have your Pearl Harbor audit trail (Pearl Harbor being the ultimate disaster prior to 9/11) that proves you weren’t the stupid one.This has saved my career more than once — in one case, it was even used to provide documentation to an FBI inquiry while I worked at a defense manufacturer!Bob’s Last Word While I figure avoiding the problem altogether is the best strategy, few of us are that dextrous. The next best thing is self-protection.What I like most about the Pearl Harbor strategy is that it puts a thin veneer of “just making sure” on the documentation. Just writing a memo to file doesn’t do the job as well … anyone can put a piece of paper in any file with any date they want on it, after all. And sending an e-mail back to your boss that says, “The purpose of this e-mail is to document your instruction to me to do x,” is pretty close to the old French challenge to a duel – it’s a slap across the face with a glove.“I’m sending you an e-mail to make sure you and I are on the same page regarding your request,” is hard for a manager to complain about. What, after all, is the alternative? Failing to make sure you got is straight? I do suggest reserving the use of this strategy for endangering situations, though. The relationship you want with your manager isn’t, after all, based on distrust and documentation. So if you find yourself resorting to these a lot, it’s time to ask yourself if you’re working for the right company and manager.If you aren’t, you have a decision: Wait it out, hoping your manager is the one bad apple in a good company and will be gone soon, or get your posterior into a better situation.– Bob ——– Technology Industry