World Icon: June 2020

Your Manager Committed You to Weekend Work: Respond

Published

Author

Ragu

Comments

Updated September 2026: in June 2020, after leadership rejected my manager's approach, he promised the updated version by the next day, which was a weekend, without asking me. I logged off as soon as the call ended. I have rewritten it into advice on responding when someone commits you to weekend work.

The client's requirements turned out opposite to the delivery team's assumptions. Leadership then asked for information from other accounts, and my manager gathered details they did not want. When leadership dismissed his suggestions and asked for simple insights, I stayed silent. At the end, my manager committed to sending the updated version the next day, a Saturday. I logged off immediately after the call.

Is it fair for a manager to commit you without asking?

It happens, especially under pressure from leadership, but it is not good practice. Commitments should reflect who will do the work and when. Being volunteered for a weekend without a conversation damages trust even when the work itself is reasonable.

How should you respond?

Do not ignore it. Logging off without a word leaves the commitment standing.
Talk to your manager the same evening: ask what exactly was promised and what is the minimum that would satisfy leadership.
Offer a realistic option, such as a short version on Saturday afternoon, or the full version first thing Monday.

What if the deadline genuinely cannot move?

Agree a limited scope and a fixed window, and ask for the time back as comp-off. Share the work if others can help. A focused two-hour task on Saturday is manageable; an open-ended weekend is not.

How do you stop it becoming a pattern?

After the weekend, raise it calmly: "Next time, can we check timing together before committing to leadership?" Suggest that commitments on dates are confirmed after the call rather than on it. Most managers accept this once they see its effect.

Should you speak up on the call itself?

Sometimes a brief, neutral line helps: "I can have a first version by Monday morning." It is not contradicting your manager, just offering a realistic date before the promise sets.

Keep reading

Validate the Brief Before Building the Deck

Published

8:52 AM

Author

Ragu

Comments

Updated September 2026: in June 2020 my manager gave me a brief for a short-turnaround opportunity; I built slides and a storyline around it, then presented them on a call with onsite and offshore teams, where the day's work was set aside. I have rewritten it into advice on validating a brief before investing a day in it.

Back from leave, I was assigned an opportunity with a familiar account team and a short deadline. My manager shared some snippets and asked me to collate slides with a storyline. I trusted his input, built the deck, and he asked me to set up a call with onsite and offshore teams. I opened the call with my deck in presentation mode, confident. The day's work did not survive it.

Why do second-hand briefs go wrong?

Because they are summaries of conversations you were not in. Details get lost, and the manager's own interpretation fills the gaps. When the people closest to the client hear the result, they often find it does not match what they asked for.

How do you validate a brief quickly?

Write the brief back in five lines: the client's need, the deliverable, the storyline, the deadline and the approver.
Send it to the onsite lead as well as your manager, and ask for a quick yes or corrections.
Hold the kickoff call first, then build, not the other way round.

Should you present a full deck at a first call?

Usually not. At a first call, share a one-page outline and ask questions. Presenting a finished deck invites people to react to the slides rather than tell you what they need. An outline invites correction when correction is cheap.

How do you recover when a day's work is dropped?

Take notes on what the team actually wants, confirm it in writing, and reuse whatever still fits. Then tell your manager what changed, factually. Most of the time some structure survives, even if the storyline changes.

What should you ask your manager in future?

"Has the onsite team seen this direction?" If the answer is no, suggest a fifteen-minute call before building. That single question saves the most rework.