Faff off

[sasguru]

Do you know what "bunk" means?

You're all mouthy now. Wait till the cricket starts. You betting on a whitewash?

[NotAllThere]

Update from new gig. Project is a mess. ...

Status quo then.

[Pondlife]

Status quo then.

Should be his sig

[OwlHoot]

That's just mates employing crappier mates so they don't look bad. Eventually they will run out of crap BCS members and try to recruit SAS.

[suityou01]

No I just see too many places where Permies have stuck around for 5 or more years and are used to how its done here... They are vested in the idea that they don't need change and their company will look after them for ever.

Spot on BS.
That's exactly what's going on here. Because you have only just arrived on scene you are deemed worthless. As I am trying to point out to them, arriving on site not knowing anything about the business is an occupational hazard you have to be able to cope with as a contract BA. In point of fact, now I have a thin grasp of their business model two things leap out at me :

1) They are overcomplicating things massively.
2) See 1.

Now I am challenging them, and asking "why?" they are asking themselves why too. That's good. That's healthy. This is what I am paid to do.

In all fairness the people I sit in an office with on the day to day have been very sympathetic and only to eager to give me the background on such and such and so and so, always accepting that the place is full of arrogant lifers that won't be budged.

[suityou01]

Status quo then.

Awwwww shurrup.

[OwlHoot]

No I just see too many places where Permies have stuck around for 5 or more years and are used to how its done here... They are vested in the idea that they don't need change and their company will look after them for ever.

This is very true in larger organisations, and doubtless in many smaller ones too. But in several smaller clients I've been at, where the managers and permies aren't ultra-clued up and smart uber-techies (I try and avoid places like that - The phrase "passionate about .." in the ad is a dead giveaway!) they have have been receptive to suggestions. In a couple of cases the manager has explicitly pointed out that was one benefit of hiring a contractor, which one would think was obvious to anyone. I've persuaded more than one small company or the merits of version control for example!

[suityou01]

This is very true in larger organisations, and doubtless in many smaller ones too. But in several smaller clients I've been at, where the managers and permies aren't ultra-clued up and smart uber-techies (I try and avoid places like that - The phrase "passionate about .." in the ad is a dead giveaway!) they have have been receptive to suggestions. In a couple of cases the manager has explicitly pointed out that was one benefit of hiring a contractor, which one would think was obvious to anyone. I've persuaded more than one small company or the merits of version control for example!

It looks like I'm bringing Prince2 in. Another example.

They should pay us danger money Owly.

[bobspud]

This is very true in larger organisations, and doubtless in many smaller ones too. But in several smaller clients I've been at, where the managers and permies aren't ultra-clued up and smart uber-techies (I try and avoid places like that - The phrase "passionate about .." in the ad is a dead giveaway!) they have have been receptive to suggestions. In a couple of cases the manager has explicitly pointed out that was one benefit of hiring a contractor, which one would think was obvious to anyone. I've persuaded more than one small company or the merits of version control for example!

My only reason for being at my current gig is because the manager thinks his team are all a little too long in the tooth on the time served scale and wants to shake it up a bit... I am currently fighting the we don't need no design patterns here battle... When they have a team of guys reinventing the wheel at every new client...

[bobspud]

It looks like I'm bringing Prince2 in...

That should stop all progress dead in its tracks