Former Community – We Moved
🆕 Coached community here, for posts & feedback public community here.
How to keep your enemies closer from a low power position
I'm a IT project manager and business analyst by trade. In my last 2 gigs when I've been managing projects I've had to compete against female marketing managers from the business and I was on the IT side. The previous one had a golden card as she had a very strong relationship with the Marketing director. They were in the same office worked closely often into the night. And I was in another state.
My current one - walking into my team on day 1 started talking to them and ignored me. (I'd like to know how best to deal with that play) The backstory is the previous marketing manager had used some malcontents in the team as a side door.
Part of the competitive environment is that the tech has changed. Marketing teams have tech skills and their own vendors now so they always want to take what they see as control away from IT. So the conflict's not of my making but I still need to deliver. And often as contractor walking in the door in whatever role the permies ignore you as they have the alliances and can out wait you. So I think this question is of broad interest.
At the end of the day we're delivering the projects for the business so best to be their friend. How do you do that when they hold all the cards without being a needy beggar (which nobody would want as an ally anyway) ?
BTW I am enrolled in PU - just starting out so please refer me to there if relevant. Thanks
