Quote:
Originally Posted by
LawrenceMD 
this may be a female situation where your boss' mind she wanted and told you to do the big project first, but in reality only indirectly said so.
kinda like how my wife will say we need to go to the bank and just assumes that i'm the one to bring the checkbook and envelope of cash before we head out. mind you she never explicitly said out loud to me to bring the check book and envelope of cash on the dresser.
now when the shit hits the fan and the boss has a melt down, you may feel that your actions are not totally wrong, which you do may have a case, in reality something wrong did happen no matter who's miscommunication caused it.
apologize once, but don't over explain your side, she'll only take it as you arguing with her and make it worse. don't over apologize either, because it only rehashes her female anger.
and as any married guy (or someone working under a female boss) will tell you in her mind its your fault, no matter what. thats the reality - so chalk this one to experience and next time dealing with her.
Indeed, in most high power/high stakes work environments they are not looking for children that need their hand held. you need to know what she wants or she will find someone who does. Yes, it was her fault for not explicitly telling you how to prioritize YOUR work load, but if thats how you operate, your not going to get very far. at some point you need to speak up and ask for the information if you need it or find it yourself. take some initiative and learn to prioritize your work load.
in short: its both your fault, but at the end of the day, she is the boss.