Crazy PM

[Abraham]

Started the contract a month ago, going through very hard time with the PM. He is calling himself also as Scrum Master for the project, but does not allow me - Lead Dev - to meet the Product Owner. He excludes me in any client meetings, at the same time he wants to be present in all technical discussions we have within the dev team. I have also noticed that he does not invite the Product Owner to the requirements discussions meeting the developers hold, but he insists that he should take the notes and he should discuss the same with the Product Owner separately, without any developer present. He always communicates with individuals separately, without letting others know what he was discussing with other, this often causes misunderstanding, as the opinion on issues may be different.

Time to get out?

[cojak]

So...?

[PerfectStorm]

I'm so glad I don't care about stuff like this now. Reject politics in work - if someone wants to work differently, let them. Do what you can in the hours you have then leave promptly at the end of the day. Keep invoicing.

[Boney M]

Out of interest is the PM permie or contractor?

[stek]

Started the contract a month ago, going through very hard time with the PM. He is calling himself also as Scrum Master for the project, but does not allow me - Lead Dev - to meet the Product Owner. He excludes me in any client meetings, at the same time he wants to be present in all technical discussions we have within the dev team. I have also noticed that he does not invite the Product Owner to the requirements discussions meeting the developers hold, but he insists that he should take the notes and he should discuss the same with the Product Owner separately, without any developer present. He always communicates with individuals separately, without letting others know what he was discussing with other, this often causes misunderstanding, as the opinion on issues may be different.

Time to get out?

Why don't you go contracting and leave behind all this permie crap.

Edit: OP is on a contract - oh well.....

[VectraMan]

There are two types of PM: the ones that do bugger all, and the ones that actively get in the way. Sounds like you're stuck with a number two.

[suityou01]

Sorry to hear you think you have a problem.

Clearly you don't, or rather the problem is that you have to realise that you don't have a problem.

Mr PM, has positioned himself to fail, or take all the glory. In either case you don't have a problem. Just keep your head down, keep the PM on side and keeeeeeeeeeeeep invoicing.

This is the kind of piss easy gig we all dream about.

HTH

[LondonManc]

90% of project managers give the rest a bad name.

You've got a control freak with trust issues, simple as that.
Keep your emails, keep your 'arris covered and keep invoicing. As long as you keep the right side of IR35, it's an easy gig for you.

[MrMarkyMark]

Sounds proactive, resourceful, wants to understand the technology, get involved etc.

@OP Do you know when he's next available?

[coe123]

90% of project managers give the rest a bad name.

You've got a control freak with trust issues, simple as that.
Keep your emails, keep your 'arris covered and keep invoicing. As long as you keep the right side of IR35, it's an easy gig for you.

PM may be in this case, but you would find odd nutcase everywhere - so the problem is of individuals not role specific. I had a contractor BA working for me couple of years ago, who was a technical analyst (failed PM) managed to get himself in a as a BA - was a decent techie but was not interested in domain and would find excuses to not do core BA work. He would take every opportunity to become a PM (all the glory but none of the responsibility) - every time he saw a risk/issue, made a point to go around all senior folks to set alarm bells ringing.

I need complete autonomy but with people like these working for you, it is extremely difficult to keep noise down and everyone wants to come and 'help' you even though you don't need it. I had to put up with it for few months, but when it came to his renewal - I told his resource manager that the pipeline is drying up and we don't need him, managed without him for a month or two and then asked for another BA later on. I don't think that is a possibility for the OP so just put up with it and keep invoicing.