Reply to: Credit Stealers

[achilles]

You should not allow others (contractors or permies) to steal your ideas. You must ensure that senior management know that it is you the one who comes up with all the ideas and give you full credit for it. The fact that you are a contractor is irrelevant.

The first reason for doing this is self respect, and yes it is more important than money.

The second reason is that when they start shedding contractors you will be kept because they know you are valuable to the project.

[jkdaniel]

It's not nice to be in that sort of environment.But you'll find credit stealers everywhere.
Said that, I have once been in that situation but with permies though. Didn't mind giving my suggestions to him as i

knew the hiring manager knew
they were my ideas, i just kept quiet and humble about the whole situation, and not blow own trumpet.
The Team manager or PM have known them for ages and are aware of their skills.
However dealing with fellow contractors in such situation is quite different.
If i were you, i would stop sharing innovative ideas tbh.
Moral is don't let other contractors take benefit from your ideas, you are not gaining anything out of it.
If you know the people who can decide whether to keep you or not, share your ideas with them.
If nothing works out tell him the whole situation and find somewhere else.
Self respect is more valuable than money.

[LondonManc]

I think we've found the PM contractor he mentioned

As a contractor, you're expected to do the job - you've been recruited for your skills/experience combo to fit the project they want. It's expected that you'll deliver. If the other contractors are slippery as **** then it's not a nice place to be. Fortunately I've not been there but ar$e-covering is needed in the form of email trail, meeting minutes, etc.

[Danglekt]

Sounds like you're on a winner. If they get rid of you the rest are going to get binned off because they offer nothing. Clear CEO material.

Or just get on with invoicing and take an extension offer as the thanks you're desperately craving.

I think we've found the PM contractor he mentioned

[LondonManc]

Sounds like you're on a winner. If they get rid of you the rest are going to get binned off because they offer nothing. Clear CEO material.

Or just get on with invoicing and take an extension offer as the thanks you're desperately craving.

[Danglekt]

outline your concerns to the people who are responsible for delivery (even if they are part of the problem)

Keep it factual, dont include all the emotional cr@p you've mentioned, as to be honest you sound like you have let your feelings colour your views too much already.

That way you have raised the issue, outlined the impact it is having.

If they really value your input and your ideas are being used as much as you claim then unless they are morons they will react appropriately and at least give you enough info to do your job.

If they are morons, then it will not improve and never will and your best moving on.

But at least you give them a chance. I have found 90% of office politics is peoples perceptions being coloured by a small issue, and then inventing a story which supports their feelings everytime anything happens which is open to interpretation.

[sal]

Would you really renew in such a toxic environment? Let the creeps cement their position in this tulip hole, keep doing your bits and invoicing until the current term ends, then find something better.

If for whatever reason you are desperate to cling to this contract and absolutely want to renew - do as Cojak suggested, only present your ideas in writing with the permie manager/timesheet approver in cc or just run up stairs like the others do. Just make sure they don't know and/or are in league with each other in which case you are stuffed.

For me not having to put up with tulip like that is the absolute best part of being a contractor, but YMMV

[psychocandy]

I had a client like this but it was mostly the permies. They were happy to let the contractors do the mundane stuff but if anything interesting happened they were straight in there and took credit for fixing (even if I'd done it).

Sometimes I'd even ask them afterwards how things were going but they'd keep it to themselves. Lot of jealousy towards the contractors.

Apart from one contractor guy who seemed to spent his entire day telling the permies how good and how clever they were. I couldn't be arsed with all that.

They were never going to change. All you can do i leave. I stayed for two renewals when I probably shouldnt have but it was 20 mins drive for me....

[BlasterBates]

When the PM and the colleagues all are contractors, each one has his/her own agenda and interest - showing they are indispensable to the project. In that process, whoever they want to get rid of the project, they want to make him/her appear less important, by suppressing the valuable contributions made by him/her and by suppressing or delaying key project information. One of these guys come from a company that supplies contract consultants, so he has an interest to remove me and bring a person from his parent company.

The situation is - the people above are responsible for contract extensions.

If they pay your invoice, you are getting credit for the work you do, so I wouldn't worry about management pats on the back or rounds of "for he's a jolly good fellow" in the meetings.

If they renew, they renew if not you move on. Simple, and don't get involved in politics.

Personally I try to avoid meetings, I just focus on outputs, i.e. specs and lines of code.

[Abraham]

What matters as a contractor is to be valued by immediate colleagues and the PM. Anyone above them will not have any input nor any interest other than to sign the PO. Being credited with any ideas is therefore rather pointless.

As a contractor you interest is being indispensible to your colleagues and the PM not their superiors.

If this sort of thing niggles then contracting might not be the best route. As a contractor you provide a service for lower end of the organisation and they get credit for listening and taking on board your ideas. In return you get paid.

When the PM and the colleagues all are contractors, each one has his/her own agenda and interest - showing they are indispensable to the project. In that process, whoever they want to get rid of the project, they want to make him/her appear less important, by suppressing the valuable contributions made by him/her and by suppressing or delaying key project information. One of these guys come from a company that supplies contract consultants, so he has an interest to remove me and bring a person from his parent company.

The situation is - the people above are responsible for contract extensions.

[BlasterBates]

What matters as a contractor is to be valued by immediate colleagues and the PM. Anyone above them will not have any input nor any interest other than to sign the PO. Being credited with any ideas is therefore rather pointless.

As a contractor you interest is being indispensible to your colleagues and the PM not their superiors.

If this sort of thing niggles then contracting might not be the best route. As a contractor you provide a service for lower end of the organisation and they get credit for listening and taking on board your ideas. In return you get paid.

[mrv]

Any suggestion on how the above situation can be tackled?

Stop playing permie games of office politics. You are there not to earn some promotion or good boy points. Keep your head down, do your work, keep invoicing.

[SteelyDan]

TBH, Id just keep my ideas to myself and if these other contractors say you arent contributing, I'll tell them that's because they are and have been presenting your ideas to others as their own and not giving you the credit.

Id also start looking for another role because the place you work at sounds crap.

Roger that.

[northernladuk]

What does it matter. You'll be moving on soon. You don't get promotions, pay rises or anything like that so not sure what you are expecting to gain from it. I can imagine it's a tad annoying but I don't think I'd be rocking the boat just to prove it was my idea bearing in mind there is little or no reward for it. Deliver good work and invoice on I'd say.

[BolshieBastard]

This makes me giggle a little when people say being a contractor removes you from office politics. Does it ****!

IMO, its going to be very hard to tackle this situation because the 'other' contractors are clearly out to make themselves indespensable and cement their position in the organisation.

If you're not being kept in the loop as regards current project info any ideas you have will also likely be out of time.

TBH, Id just keep my ideas to myself and if these other contractors say you arent contributing, I'll tell them that's because they are and have been presenting your ideas to others as their own and not giving you the credit.

Id also start looking for another role because the place you work at sounds crap.