Reply to: Best way to ingratiate yourself with unfriendly development manager & architect

[suityou01]

Um...

Yesh m'lady

[MaryPoppins]

Try and get a handle on the general atmos, before taking things so personally. Previous gig everyone was very insular, private huddles, conversations would stop when I entered the room. Didn't give a flying ****.

Um...

[psychocandy]

One new contractor next to me started telling another contractor about her children and what they had planned for the weekend - His response was 'Tell someone who cares' and got on with his work.

Now thats being a miserable ******!

[psychocandy]

That kind of thing really depresses me though.

Does it mean I am not cut out to be a contractor if I don't expect a bit of civility/fun/banter/interaction during the 50 hours a week I spend at work?

I'm with kanye on this one. All well and good to sit there and got on with things but I like to enjoy going to work. Nothing wrong with a bit of being sociable and having a good time rather than sit there like a bunch of miserable twats.

Worked at both types of places at different ends of the spectrum. One place no-one even spoke to each other once manager turned up. Never seen such a miserable tulip in my life. Other place no-one cared who was permie and who was contractor. Some great people there. One of the permies I now regard as a mate and we still keep in touch.

50 hours? :-)

[suityou01]

.... Erm .....

It's ok, she means her unsightly bulges

[Jubber]

...... I rarely get a good morning or good night unless I push it in his face, but he signs my timesheets, so no complaints

.... Erm .....

[eek]

in hindsight, they were just cautious as the contractor was an arse, always on the sick and complaining.

Now they are inviting him back. :d

ftfy hth bivvvmd

[suityou01]

Trying to be helpful

Couple of things stand out to me. Firstly you don't seem to have a handle on the corporate culture. At 9:30am what do you hear? Idle chit chat, or furious clacking of keys?

Are there lots of motivational posters on the wall about teamwork? Sure fire indication of a high turnover rate. Signs in the loos that read "Please leave this trap tidy", and "Now wash your hands" can indicate they hire cheap and need to spell out the basics as moral is sooooo low the staff enjoy trashing the loos.

Try and get a handle on the general atmos, before taking things so personally. Previous gig everyone was very insular, private huddles, conversations would stop when I entered the room. Didn't give a flying ****.

After a while the barriers came down. But only because I let it go over my head. In hindsight, they were just cautious as the previous contractor was an arse, always on the sick and complaining.

Now they are inviting me back.

[jmo21]

a new permie would probably get the same in some offices.

[CheeseSlice]

As I'm drumming into the eek jrs

Tell someone who cares!

Bloomin chatty contractors. Twice in one day!
Well now thats them dealt with its back to that annoying line of code...finally.

[SueEllen]

One new contractor next to me started telling another contractor about her children and what they had planned for the weekend - His response was 'Tell someone who cares' and got on with his work.

LOL

[tarbera]

fraid not

That kind of thing really depresses me though.

Does it mean I am not cut out to be a contractor if I don't expect a bit of civility/fun/banter/interaction during the 50 hours a week I spend at work?

One new contractor next to me started telling another contractor about her children and what they had planned for the weekend - His response was 'Tell someone who cares' and got on with his work.

[KentPhilip]

Try dropping a smelly fart next to them. If they are not ones for talking then they won't talk to complain. And you can amuse yourself at the thought they are putting up with the smell in silence

[Bellona]

That kind of thing really depresses me though.

Does it mean I am not cut out to be a contractor if I don't expect a bit of civility/fun/banter/interaction during the 50 hours a week I spend at work?

I had some banter during the day with some groups, the "good morning, goodnight" thing was, I think, because it was a contractor heavy client, and a lot of them didn't draw attention to their arrival/leave times so didn't acknowledge others - strange, but didn't stop me being polite.

I agree that an interactive/ friendly environment is preferable, but, like I said, it was his/her 1st day, no reason to think it won't get better ...

[Kanye]

WHS
My last gig, I always said goodnight when leaving and no-one ever responded, or said good morning when they, or I arrived, it was just how they were.

That kind of thing really depresses me though.

Does it mean I am not cut out to be a contractor if I don't expect a bit of civility/fun/banter/interaction during the 50 hours a week I spend at work?