Explain yourself, please!

When I walked in my office after being off for two weeks, there was a sheet of paper on my desk with instructions from the boss. So normally to make sure we are on the same page, I often will ask her if this is what she means and verbally express it. When she agrees, I go ahead and proceed to work on what she has asked me to do. So when I see this sheet of paper with a sticky on it, I go in her office and ask her if she want me to send that sheet of paper via email to all the instructors that are on that sheet. She says yes.

While I am sending this paper out via email, at the end of the email, I mention to my boss that there are two classes that do not have an instructor listed to teach those classes and she said it was ok, and to send it to one additional person to let them know they need an instructor and so I did. Well one lady responds back and say that she would like to teach the classes that do not have anyone assigned to them. I told my boss that the lady wants to teach the class and all of a sudden, the boss says, "Barbara, you misunderstood, I didn't want you to send it to every person on that sheet." I give her that puzzled look and said, "Well you said for me to send it to every person and so I did." She then said, "Yeah, I know I told you to do that but that is not what I meant." I paused and just looked at her. I didn't say anything after that.

I wanted to say something but I didn't. I just gave her that puzzled look as I was about to walk away and then she said, "I know, I know, I should have explained myself better and that I wanted only a certain amount of people on the list emailed." My point exactly! Duh!! Maybe next time she will do a better job at communicating.