Lifescripts, 3rd Edition

29Defending an Expense Report to Your Supervisor

STRATEGY

You need to tread very carefully if one of your expense reports is questioned by a supervisor. You can assume that if you're called into a face‐to‐face meeting the problem isn't one of documentation—that could be handled with a telephone call or a visit from an administrative assistant or bookkeeper. Therefore, this meeting is calling into question either your judgment or your honesty. It's even possible there's a hidden agenda—perhaps your supervisor is building a case for termination or a negative review. Whatever the situation, your goal is to immediately admit to the error, but turn it into one of omission rather than commission. Your mistake was not catching the error yourself or not preparing management for the unusual charge.

TACTICS

• Attitude: Take this as a very serious probe, even if it's for a small amount. You need to clearly demonstrate that this in no way reflects on your honesty or judgment.
• Preparation: Unless you're given advance notice of a problem with your report you'll have little or no time to prepare for this specific meeting. Instead, make it your business always to double‐ and triple‐check your expense reports prior to submission and never to knowingly pad them.
• Timing: You'll also have no control over the timing of this meeting. The only element of timing you can control is to have an immediate answer ready for any questions: Either the questionable expense was a mistake, or you forgot to provide ...