Politics in the work environment

[GigiBronz]

Hello Ladies & Gents,
First time poster, long time lurker.
Have been having this one going on in my mind for a while, curious how the more seasoned contractors deal with it.
How do you manage to stay away from office politics?
Theoretically contractor status shields you away a bit as you have to keep your eyes on the delivery,away from their 360's, but haven't found it to be always the case.
What seems more likely is that unless you associate with a similar minded group of people and do same agenda(and not related to delivery or professional side of it) in the organization you are most likely to be singled out and turned into a black sheep.
When you think you are out and minding your own business, they pull you back in.
Some of the places might not have been very contractor friendly indeed, deliveries always delayed, loose kpi's, managers focusing more on keeping the impression that "they work their people hard" so it makes it increasingly hard for you to keep delivering and invoicing.
How do you people get on with it?
If i get some time later on maybe i detail on a few episodes just for the fun of it.

Cheers,
Mr G

[northernladuk]

You man up/grow some/be a professional etc etc.

There is no one answer to this as the politics are different at every site, as is the environment. You just dig back in to your experience and you manage it.

[molsang]

Hello Gents,
First time poster, long time lurker.
Have been having this one going on in my mind for a while, curious how the more seasoned contractors deal with it.
How do you manage to stay away from office politics?
Theoretically contractor status shields you away a bit as you have to keep your eyes on the delivery,away from their 360's, but haven't found it to be always the case.
What seems more likely is that unless you associate with a similar minded group of people and do same agenda(and not related to delivery or professional side of it) in the organization you are most likely to be singled out and turned into a black sheep.
When you think you are out and minding your own business, they pull you back in.
Some of the places might not have been very contractor friendly indeed, deliveries always delayed, loose kpi's, managers focusing more on keeping the impression that "they work their people hard" so it makes it increasingly hard for you to keep delivering and invoicing.
How do you people get on with it?
If i get some time later on maybe i detail on a few episodes just for the fun of it.

Cheers,
Mr G

What you said all are absolutely True. What I experienced is keep maintaining good professional relationships with all factions and do not take any side. Always talk in favor of best interest of the organization you are working for which will draw respect from all directions, eventually the attempts to 'pull in' or 'push away' will disappear. Focus your own own well being and keep learning new things and adding new expertise in your skills, rest just plain ignore.

[vwdan]

Imagine you worked for a consultancy, and are on-site at a client. Act how you'd act there - it's entirely possible to make friends, get "on-side" with people without descending into office in fighting and politics.

You're there as a professional, engaged with a client. I'm not trying to be dismissive - I know how hard it is to just remain outside, but if Switzerland managed it in WWII then you can in an office.

What seems more likely is that unless you associate with a similar minded group of people and do same agenda(and not related to delivery or professional side of it) in the organization you are most likely to be singled out and turned into a black sheep.

Well, yeah - that's humans and our society. Personally I haven't found it difficult to engage with such people while also maintaining my professionalism - in fact, I think making those bonds is critical to your success as a contractor. In the same way that a sales person only wants to speak to a decision maker, it's the same for you - cosying up with people with no power is useless and a waste of time.

I dunno, maybe I've been fortunate or have the right sort of personality but it's not really something I've worried about. Certainly, some people/contracts are worse than others and I'm sure some contracts are bad enough that leaving is the only right option, but politics are everywhere.

[GigiBronz]

Thanks, this is useful.
It's not as if i wasn't aware of them but is good to hear from other people as well.
Having a long term goal, that you aspire to and keeps you motivated.
(paying bills and better car than the neighbor might not always work)
Growing some balls, figure out who are the key players in the team, try to associate with them at personal level to keep them on your side. Sometimes even confronting them mildly to get some form of respect.
While at same time keeping professional and staying away from the little "plots going on".
Keep learning and developing yourself.
Keep delivering and invoicing.

Unfortunately how i perceive it and how is probably the case for most of the people in here, current field does not offer many opportunities to develop and grow into an organization without shifting from technical to more politics/managerial side of it so contracting seems the optimal way forward for me.
Maybe i need to explore a few more places but that is on my plan.

/Mr G.

[SandyD]

Hello Gents,



Mr G

Are you assuming all contractors here are Gents? Or are you just wanting advice from male members?

[SandyD]

Imagine you worked for a consultancy, and are on-site at a client. Act how you'd act there - it's entirely possible to make friends, get "on-side" with people without descending into office in fighting and politics.

You're there as a professional, engaged with a client. I'm not trying to be dismissive - I know how hard it is to just remain outside, but if Switzerland managed it in WWII then you can in an office.

Not entirely correct, I used to be a consultant prior to contracting, the way a client treats a consultant is entirely different, beside as a consultant, you are usually part of a team that will have your back and support you (but yeh consultancies have huge other issues lets not get into them now) I actually worked at the same place both as a consultant first, then after a time period went back to them as contractor...same people, same me... after being well respected and listened to as a consultant from top consultancy ... suddenly I was a contractor slave, treated as a sub-human category... yeh whatever, I kept my head down and took my daily rate... then moved on!
Definitely tougher and can be lonelier being a contractor, some places better than others.
At the place am at now, they quite openly talk in front of us contractors about how they despise contractor mentality, tell us all contractors care about is money etc etc, they can't see how lazy most of the perm team is, and how unwilling they are to do anything new... thick skin !!

[vwdan]

Unfortunately how i perceive it and how is probably the case for most of the people in here, current field does not offer many opportunities to develop and grow into an organization without shifting from technical to more politics/managerial side of it so contracting seems the optimal way forward for me.

Personally, I think you're looking at this wrong. When I go into a company, I don't do so looking for promotion or the ability to insert myself into other projects. My goal is to be "Dan the awesome consultant we had".

I want to be in peoples phone books, I want to be somebody they remember. When I left my last place, the MD had been trying to get me in as a permie for months and as I said goodbye he laughed and joked "Ah, you'll be back in a couple of weeks". That's my aim in every contract - I don't *want* the permie job, or to stay there, but I want them to want me to. Because those are the people who are going to call in six months time with another project, or give my name to their contacts when they ask if they know a good engineer. Or, at the very least, leave a kick-ass multi paragraph LinkedIn recommendation.

[vwdan]

Not entirely correct, I used to be a consultant prior to contracting,

Psst, so did I

the way a client treats a consultant is entirely different

To a degree, sure, but broadly I think how you behave has a huge impact on how you're treated. I've always introduced myself as a consultant and I've always worked on projects on much the same basis as I did with a consultancy behind me. Act like a bum on a seat contractor and I imagine you'll be treated like one.

after being well respected and listened to as a consultant from top consultancy ... suddenly I was a contractor slave, treated as a sub-human category... yeh whatever, I kept my head down and took my daily rate... then moved on!
...
At the place am at now, they quite openly talk in front of us contractors about how they despise contractor mentality, tell us all contractors care about is money etc etc, they can't see how lazy most of the perm team is, and how unwilling they are to do anything new... thick skin !!

I'm not disputing your experience, but any anti-contractor sentiment I've seen has been fairly mild. For the most part I've felt valued and appreciated in the same way as I did as a permie consultant - certainly nothing to that level.

[SandyD]

Psst, so did I



I'm not disputing your experience, but any anti-contractor sentiment I've seen has been fairly mild. For the most part I've felt valued and appreciated in the same way as I did as a permie consultant - certainly nothing to that level.

Yes certainly in the last 10 years or so the anti-contractor sentiment is hardly visible, not sure why my present place - even though its a large bank and there are plenty of contractors feel free to be openly anti-contractor.