All of this is very true! Thanks to the author for being open about their mistakes.
If you want to avoid this scenario, your company needs good leadership. If you're at a company where the managers don't do any due diligence in terms of verifying the progress of work, you are at an either inept or toxic company. If all people do is ask you for a "status report" and they just hope it's correct, they're setting everyone up to fail.
Good management is like a teacher in school who checks if students are completing their work, and if they aren't, gives them assistance. The teacher must actually check the work, and be interested in the welfare of the student as much as improvement.
If you want to avoid this scenario, your company needs good leadership. If you're at a company where the managers don't do any due diligence in terms of verifying the progress of work, you are at an either inept or toxic company. If all people do is ask you for a "status report" and they just hope it's correct, they're setting everyone up to fail.
Good management is like a teacher in school who checks if students are completing their work, and if they aren't, gives them assistance. The teacher must actually check the work, and be interested in the welfare of the student as much as improvement.