Revolutionary Information: June 2020

Presenting Your Manager's Slides Without Your Manager

Updated September 2026: in June 2020 my manager asked me to work on his own suggestions for a deck, then pulled out of the client-facing call minutes before it started, leaving me alone to defend slides the onsite team found irrelevant. I have rewritten it into advice for presenting work you were directed to do when the person who directed it is absent.

My manager added new suggestions, and I built them, trusting he would join the call and explain the thinking. Minutes before the call he said he could not attend because of personal work. I was left alone. Early in the call, the onsite team grew angry that the slides did not contain what they had asked for.

What should you do when your manager drops out?

Before the call, if you have a few minutes, ask them for the one or two reasons behind their suggestions, and whether you can say the slides were at their direction. That short exchange gives you something to stand on.

How do you handle criticism of slides you did not choose?

Stay calm and factual: "These slides were added to cover X; I understand they are not what you need."
Do not blame your manager in front of the client-side team, but do not claim the decision as yours either.
Refocus on their needs: "Can we confirm the three items you want, so I can update today?"

What should you do after the call?

Send the onsite team a summary of the requested changes and a delivery time. Then speak to your manager privately with the feedback, factually: what was criticised and what has been agreed. Ask that in future, suggestions are checked with the onsite team before building.

How do you avoid being left alone again?

Agree who presents which parts before building them. If a manager directs content, ask them to present it or to join for those slides. And confirm the client's priorities before adding anything new, so the question of defending extra slides does not arise.

Should you escalate a manager's absence?

Once, rarely. Emergencies happen. If it becomes a pattern of directing work and then not standing behind it, raise it calmly with your manager first and, if needed, with their manager.

Keep reading

On Leave When a Crisis Hits: Staying Informed Calmly

Updated September 2026: in 2020 I was on long-planned leave when the national lockdown began. A company email promised that jobs and salaries were safe and staff should work from home, but silence from my team still made me anxious until I called a colleague. I have rewritten it into lessons on employer communication in a crisis, from the employee's side.

My leave had been booked long before, and I continued it when the lockdown was announced. Within hours, the company emailed everyone: connect from home until further notice; jobs and salaries would not be affected. That mail meant a great deal. Still, with no messages from my own team for days, I grew nervous and phoned a colleague to check in.

Why did a company email matter so much?

Because uncertainty is the hardest part of a crisis. A clear, early statement on jobs and pay, from the top, removes the biggest fear. Employers who communicated quickly and plainly in March 2020 earned lasting trust; those who stayed silent left people to fill the gap with rumours.

Why does silence from your own team still worry you?

Company-wide messages are general. What people want to know is how it applies to them: is my project continuing, is my manager expecting me online, does my leave still stand? When a team goes quiet, people assume the worst about their own position.

What should you do if you are on leave during a crisis?

Read official communications first, and save them.
Message your manager briefly to confirm your leave stands and ask if anything is needed.
Check in with a colleague for practical updates, as I did.
Prepare for return: equipment, access and connectivity at home.

Should you cut your leave short?

Only if your manager asks or your role is critical to keeping services running. Approved leave during an uncertain period is still leave, and returning rested helps more than logging in anxious. Confirming that you are reachable for anything genuinely urgent is usually enough.

What can managers learn from it?

Send a short team message within a day of any company announcement, even if nothing has changed: "Company update applies to us; projects continue; anyone on leave, enjoy it and we will catch up on your return." It costs a minute and prevents days of anxiety.