Revolutionary Information

Updated September 2026: in 2019 I was on vacation, silently listening to a heated call in which the onsite delivery lead demanded a final deck by the end of the day despite there being no information to build it from. I have rewritten it into advice on protecting leave when a crisis erupts on a project you are part of.

The onsite delivery lead would not accept what my manager was saying and demanded the updated final deck by the end of the day. Neither offshore nor the account team had the information needed, and I was on vacation that day. I stayed silent through the heated exchange, then waited for my manager to call and ask me to work.

Should you join calls while on leave?

Ideally not. Joining, even silently, signals that you are available and makes it more likely you will be asked to work. If you do join to stay informed, keep your camera and microphone off and do not commit to anything on the call.

What should your manager do in this situation?

Protect approved leave and handle the stakeholder. A demand for a final deck with no inputs is a scope and information problem, not a staffing one. The right response is to explain what is missing and agree a realistic date, not to pull someone off leave to produce something that cannot be accurate.

How do you respond if you are asked to work on leave?

• Ask what exactly is needed and whether anyone else can do it.
• Offer a limited, specific contribution, such as an hour to share files and context.
• Record the time and ask for it back as leave or comp-off.
• Say no calmly if the request is open-ended.

What should you prepare before leave to prevent this?

A handover note with the status, the missing inputs and who owns them. When a stakeholder demands the impossible, that note lets your manager answer without you: here is what we have, here is what we are waiting for.

Is it worth staying silent on such calls?

If you have joined, yes. Arguing while on leave rarely helps and can draw you into the work. Share any facts your manager needs privately afterwards, briefly, and then step back.

Keep reading

• Writing a Firm Note About Ownership Before Leave
• On Leave When a Crisis Hits: Staying Informed Calmly
• When a Colleague Drops Out Minutes Before a Client Call

Updated September 2026: in 2019 an offshore delivery lead questioned me on every item before a client call, expected me to fill in estimates that belonged to another colleague, and gave us thirty minutes to fix it all. I have rewritten it into advice on producing estimates under pressure before a client call.

The delivery lead wanted every status updated from my knowledge, although the estimates should have come from the offshore delivery contact's own assessment. He then criticised that colleague for not having estimates ready. The colleague explained the short turnaround and the limited information from onsite, but the lead would not listen. We had thirty minutes before the call.

Who should own an estimate?

The person accountable for delivering the work, supported by those who know its parts. A presales or solution person can structure and present estimates, but should not invent them. Saying so, politely, protects both you and the client.

What can you do in thirty minutes?

• Use a range, not a single number, with the main assumption behind it.
• Reuse a past estimate for similar work and adjust for known differences.
• List the unknowns that could move the estimate, so the client sees what is still open.
• Label it as indicative until the full assessment is done.

How do you present a rough estimate on the call?

Lead with the assumptions: "Based on the volumes shared so far, we expect six to eight weeks; that will firm up once we have the integration list." Clients generally accept an honest range with reasons far better than a precise figure that later changes.

How do you handle an angry delivery lead?

Focus on the task, not the tone. Agree who will produce which figure in the time available, and get going. After the call, raise the process issue calmly: estimates need time and inputs, and thirty minutes is not enough for a reliable one.

How do you avoid this next time?

Put estimate preparation in the plan from the start, with an owner and a date before the client call. Ask for the inputs early. Most last-minute estimate panics come from nobody owning the estimate until someone asks for it.

Keep reading

• When a Colleague Drops Out Minutes Before a Client Call
• Presenting Your Manager's Slides Without Your Manager
• Feedback That Goes to Your Manager Instead of You

Updated September 2026: in 2019 I worked for two weeks with a demanding delivery contact, finished the deck before my vacation, and received no acknowledgement at all when it was presented to the client. I have rewritten it into advice on getting your work recognised when others do not credit it.

For almost two weeks I pushed myself on that opportunity, hoping for some acknowledgement. Near the end, I just wanted to finish before my planned week off, so I closed out as much as possible. The deck went to the client, and the delivery contact said nothing about the effort I had put in.

Why does good work go unacknowledged?

Often because the person you work with is under pressure, sees your work as simply your job, or is not in the habit of giving credit. It is rarely a considered judgement on the work. That does not make it less frustrating, but it does mean the fix is in your hands, not theirs.

How do you make your contribution visible?

• Send a closing note to the team when the deck is delivered: what you built, what changed and what was reused.
• Copy your manager on key deliverables, not to show off but to keep them informed.
• Keep your own record of work delivered, feedback received and hours spent.

Should you ask for feedback directly?

Yes. "Was the deck what you needed? Anything you'd have liked done differently?" is a fair question after delivery. It often draws out acknowledgement that would not have come unprompted, and useful criticism if there is any.

How do you avoid depending on one person's recognition?

Build relationships with several people who see your work: the account team, onsite leads and your manager. Recognition usually comes from someone who saw the outcome, not only from the person you worked alongside.

Should you let it affect your effort?

Not your quality, but perhaps your extra hours. Doing good work for the client and your own record is worth it. Repeatedly working late for someone who never acknowledges it is a pattern worth discussing with your manager rather than simply absorbing.

When does it become a real problem?

When lack of credit affects your rating or opportunities. At that point, bring your record to your manager before the review cycle, with specifics. A documented contribution is hard to overlook.

Keep reading

• Feedback That Goes to Your Manager Instead of You
• A Project Crisis While You Are on Leave: What to Do
• Presenting Your Manager's Slides Without Your Manager

Updated September 2026: this 2019 post described building a better version of a deck under a tight deadline, only for the delivery person who had set up the late-night review call to tell me, with the account team already waiting, that she could not attend. I have rewritten it into advice on presenting alone when a colleague drops out at the last minute.

After the morning call I knew there were hours of work ahead. I told the delivery person I would build the structure and we could tailor it to the client's needs. Knowing the team and the material well, I finished faster than expected, improved the deck and shared it with the account team. The review was set for late at night by the delivery person herself. With the account team already on the call, she phoned to say she could not join.

What should you do in the first few minutes?

Stay calm and tell the attendees plainly: the delivery lead cannot join, and you will walk through the deck and capture questions for her. People accept a changed plan far better than an unexplained one. Do not apologise at length or speculate about why.

How do you present content that is partly someone else's?

• Present what you know confidently: the structure, storyline and slides you built.
• Flag what belongs to the absent colleague: "The delivery estimates are Priya's; I'll take your questions to her."
• Do not commit on her behalf to numbers, dates or scope.

How do you capture questions you cannot answer?

Write each one down with who asked, and read the list back at the end so attendees know nothing was lost. Send it to the absent colleague straight after the call, with the account team copied, and agree a time for answers.

How do you prepare for this happening?

On any important call, know the deck well enough to present it alone. Ask colleagues for two lines on their sections before the meeting. It takes little time and turns a last-minute absence from a crisis into a small change of plan.

What should you say to the colleague afterwards?

Give a short, neutral summary of the call and the open questions. If late withdrawals become a pattern, raise it with your manager, focusing on the effect on the client, not on blame.

Keep reading

• Presenting Your Manager's Slides Without Your Manager
• Producing Estimates Under Pressure Before a Client Call
• Reviewers Silent Until the Call? Getting Comments Early