Reply to: Internal Politics

[Joe Black]

I started with a team of 10 that took 4 days to complete a simple task but cut this down to a team of 4 that took only 30mins to do the same task. I guess by doing this I really rubbed it in that the PM was not doing their job.

Had a similar experience years ago. Ended up getting the boot after a month.

Sometimes making improvements can get you places and impress the managers, sometimes the permies get all worried and start to circle the wagons...

[Churchill]

Ignore the twat, you're supposed to be a professional, act like one!

[Dundeegeorge]

Nah, have some fun

Tell him you're gay and you're going to report him to personnel for discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation (phew, that was close, nearly typed fag-baiting!).

[Numptycorner]

Have a word with the chap. Ask him what the problem is and how you can resolve it. You will find in most cases if you act unexpectedly and confront it, it will stop.

[Antman]

plus, kick him in the knackers from me too

[Daywalker]

If you walk make sure you chin the ba**ard!

I hate cnuts like that.

[wc2]

Back in the old Novell Groupwise days, I would employed to sort out a fecked up system domain.

I fixed the problem is 3 days and all was well.

The next week the Groupwise administrator arrived back off holidays - She was not happy and proceeded to put the system back to how it was prior to me getting there.

She'd done all the courses I was the postmaster for the largest domain in the UK . Who was correct?

She was the IT Managers pride and joy - A female Engineer (How unusual)

I left that week.

El - I think the guy is jealous of your youth and ability. Hope it all goes well in your meeting.

[el duder]

i see

forgot to say this dood, is a contractor himself.

the thing is, i will walk no problem.

if the man who employed me turns round and says, el duder you have to go, then so be it. i dont have a problem with that.

its just at the moment, he is not doing this, he seems to be supporting me. so i am just getting pissed off with the architect for making my life harder in the office.

[Jabberwocky]

Well you are a contractor who has been on the job 5 days - the bells are ringing. Whose side do you think the IT manager is going to take ?

If I were the IT manager I would terminate your contract. Period. Plenty more contractors out there who will get along with the old grizzley.

[n3il123]

I have a similar sort of thing at the moment with the IT manager, the project that I am working on is run seperatly from the main IT function, so now we have brought our spanking new server to do testing on (which by the way is better than all the 10 year old production servers )

So, he has pulled rank, taken away all the access that myself and other people have had for the last 18 months and refused us access to the new server.. so we got 15k's worth of server doing nothing... just cos this guy has got the hump....... what a muppet personally I have just referred it to my PM to sort it out.. who said public sector was easy?

[BobTheCrate]

Just for the record, i am 29 and he is over 50, and i beleive this is a status thing.

Maybe el duder but my money is on insecurity, or perhaps a jealous dislike for contractors.

As someone the wrong side of 40 I don't like this kind of behaviour being blamed on age as if it is causal. There are as many (if not more) under 30's who also behave like that.

Insecurity and jealousy are no respector of age. They can afflict any age.

Unless of course you believe once you yourself reach 40 or 50 you too will automatically become insecure ?

[privateeye]

I've recently been in a similar situation whereby the PM sent me to coventry and excluded me from any project meetings. As a team manager that can make life quite awkward. All I did was my job which was to manage a team efficiently and effectively. I started with a team of 10 that took 4 days to complete a simple task but cut this down to a team of 4 that took only 30mins to do the same task. I guess by doing this I really rubbed it in that the PM was not doing their job. I left the contract and things went back to the way they were, now the PM's superior has asked me to return.

It is often the case that someone comes in who can do the job properly that someone who cannot takes offence - it only highlights how good you are and they are not.

I always keep a paper/electronic trail of any questions/requests I have of anyone to make it easier to highlight if someone is not being cooperative.

[hyperD]

I was working direct for a client on a specific project and got on well with the perms there. The team leader wanted to place a bod between the perms and him to manage the day to day stuff and bought in this chap who used to be a C++ programmer then went into "management" (cue alarm bells).

Needless to say, within a few weeks managed to p1ss virtually everyone off in the team, used to interrupt conversations by butting in and standing in front of you if you were speaking and then started to pester me about teaching him MTS and to commandeer the project I was paid to do.

A quick word with the PM and he was sacked that day.

[AlfredJPruffock]

ok, good advice.

he has taken the approach of trying to play down my technical ability.

however i was not employed for my technical skills. the role i fulfill is a non-technical role.

he is trying to make me look like i dont know what im doing.

i made the decision to go work in the public sector, and stay away from london. however, im stating to find out, its more ruthless here than any bank!!!

so you think is should rise to him? at the moment, i am playing it all down and not making complaints. as i see it, the more he complains and moans the more he looks like he is the problem?

Just keep your head and youve done well so far by showing restraint.

Im sure the IT manager probably is aware if this chap has a history of being less than cooperative, just have a private word with the IT manager.

Dont say anything insulting or negative about him , just say that you feel perhaps your contributon to the service could benefit if he was bing more co operative.

You will not gain anything by having a showdown or worse losing your temper in your first week.

In fact you will be playing into this guys hands.

Stay Cool and let him act the Fool !

Good Luck

[el duder]

thanks

ok, good advice.

he has taken the approach of trying to play down my technical ability.

however i was not employed for my technical skills. the role i fulfill is a non-technical role.

he is trying to make me look like i dont know what im doing.

i made the decision to go work in the public sector, and stay away from london. however, im stating to find out, its more ruthless here than any bank!!!

so you think is should rise to him? at the moment, i am playing it all down and not making complaints. as i see it, the more he complains and moans the more he looks like he is the problem?