Never Lie To Your Boss

Never lie to your boss. Because while you are lying she may already knew the truth before you lied. She may just want to test your credibility further, by asking you a few more details. The more you try to cover up your previous lies, the more terrible it gets. A very small white lie will be snowballed to something unforgivable to her at the end. She will then distrust you, and there gone your career.

That is my advice, after I was caught lying to my boss. I regret it very much, but I can never turn back and fix it. What I am trying to fix now, will still leave a mark, like fixing a broken mirror…

The story goes this way:

Last March, I went to Beijing for a 1-week meeting. I planned to extend the trip and stay on Saturday, so I could do some sightseeing in Great Wall. One colleague (more senior) has decided to join me, so we planned our trip together.

Just few days before departure, my boss called me from Jakarta, after attending a meeting there with that colleague. My boss asked, “Just now Ms A told me that she is having distributor meeting on Saturday (the day that I planned to go to Great Wall). Why must she involve you in HER distributor’s meeting, which has nothing to do with you? If she is extending her stay to do her other works, you don’t have to follow her. You have your family here, if you need to come back earlier just tell her off.”

I was caught by surprised, why Ms A said that to my boss. So, instead of telling my boss about my plan for the sightseeing, I kept quite and told her I would check with Ms A before getting back to her. That was the 1st mistake I made. After that, there weren’t any points of turning back already…

I failed to contact Ms A in the next 2 days coz she never answered her phone until we reached Beijing. My boss was in Beijing as well, and she asked me again (before Ms A arrived). I, again, made a bigger mistake, by trying to cover up for Ms A, and I said, “I haven’t heard from Ms A, I will let you know after I talk to her.”

When I checked with Ms A finally, she denied what she told my boss (later I found out she is a 2 headed snake, I was too naive to cover up for her). So, I decided to tell my boss the truth that I was extending to do sightseeing. But, that was already too late – because she actually knew I was lying, before she even met me in Beijing. She knew it from her best friend – whom I told about my trip, because I originally didn’t have any intention to lie!

The most ironic part was, I didn’t know my boss knew already while she was further testing my faithfulness to her. She asked me again (giving me another chance): “If you are extending to sightsee that is fine, but why you did not know about this earlier? Didn’t you discuss before you make your flight booking? You are the project leader and this meeting is YOUR meeting, you should know the agenda and the schedule of this trip, and you have all the control.”

So, to cover up myself (or that woman) more, I lied further (story also not logical already)… I actually can’t remember what I said, but now think back, everything were so obvious that I lied.

The best part of this story is, I didn’t know my boss knew. Until last Thursday!!!!!! She was very distant from me these few months, and I could sense she disliked me. I was glad she brought it up yesterday, and she said I was influenced by Ms A, and became ‘bad’.

Lessons learned. Will not lie to my boss again. But damage is done. Very bad mood, 烦, since Thursday, so didn’t blog for a few days liao…