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Starting well as a contractor in a big shop
Got an extra long weekend and a new gig starting so trying to get into my PU learning, solve a couple of hot spots and make a small step change.
Will be coming in as a contractor to a large bank - Boss and I are organising a contact centre move. Good opportunity for me as this is my second bank contract so I could really get in there. There will plenty of different groups most of which won't see our work as a priority and being in wealth plenty of people are likely to ignore you if you're low on the pile.
I know the work so this will be all about reputation management. So I'm trying to set priorities. My starting list was:
- good first impression on boss (he seems Ok so I think this comes down to being calmly low key and confident and proving I can help plan the work while deferring to him)
- start to meet the stakeholders (so the question here is the best way to get to them and find out what they care about)
- making contacts across the groups
- timing of all this - should I be head down working for first couple of weeks to show boss I'm serious or be trying to engage across and how will I know how to get the mix right. He seems straight so I'm leaning towards just discussing that.
- Influencing from a low power position - the work is mandated but so are many projects.
I know the work so this will be all about reputation management.
Ouch. I see this and my hair raises on my back. Same for the rest of the post. I think you're setting up the wrong priorities.
To me, first priorities are mastery and service. Then it's building trustworthy relationships based on the two ideas before. I recommend you to check the section on the forum about "Mindsets". I'll add one more video now.
Drop your ego and adopt the identity and mentality of the learner. Let your reputation be the one of somebody who cares about the work first and somebody who learns from their mistakes and is ever growing. This is the kind of reputation you want to have. Think about the long game.
Cheers!
Thanks John
I ll check out the videos right away.
This is a six month contract so do you think that is enough of time to play the long game? Honest question.
Its definitely not ego. I'm here to learn. I'm known as a delivery guy i.e. I've always been politically useless but good at getting the work done. I'm a fan of Cal Newport too. I've had a 20 + year career off that but times are changing. Sorry maybe I didn't articulate well. Learning the ins and outs of the new business and tech will be intense but I've done this many times before. Its the engagement side I need to improve.
The conflict I see is that in the last few places I've seen people walk in position themselves close to the managers, deflect and delegate work, setup plenty of meetings with vendors and other externals. Market those and the team's ideas as their own. Tirelessly socially network and undermine any potential rival, grab resources etc. And its these people who get their contracts renewed while the 'doers' go out the door. It seems much more of a popularity contest than a a meritocracy. This is in Australia and frankly I think our management is pretty low quality compared to US or Europe.
If I seem invested, well the stakes are high for me next year. If I can do well in this contract I'm financially setup to start buying rural property to setup my country cafe dream which will be my transition to retirement. So as Lucio says I want to be positively cynical in this gig and not just do my job well and hope others play nice. Any help and tough love greatly appreciated
This is a six month contract so do you think that is enough of time to play the long game? Honest question.
To me, mindset and identity is the priority. If you reach your goal but you have not developed your mindset all along and are not becoming the person you want to be, you actually missed the real goal in my opinion. To me, the real goal is becoming somebody you dreamed you would be and to stand up to your own values. For me, growth is more important than most things.
What I said is:
To me, first priorities are mastery and service. Then it's building trustworthy relationships based on the two ideas before
I never said politics and image are not important. I said that in matters of priority, I think they come after mastery, service and relationships.
The conflict I see is that in the last few places I've seen people walk in position themselves close to the managers, deflect and delegate work, setup plenty of meetings with vendors and other externals. Market those and the team's ideas as their own. Tirelessly socially network and undermine any potential rival, grab resources etc. And its these people who get their contracts renewed while the 'doers' go out the door. It seems much more of a popularity contest than a a meritocracy. This is in Australia and frankly I think our management is pretty low quality compared to US or Europe.
So I would say your number one problem is working in a s***y environment. That is my rationale for leaving these environments: we CAN affect them but they WILL affect us. So looking for the right environment is key for all of us, no matter the walk of life.
If I seem invested, well the stakes are high for me next year. If I can do well in this contract I'm financially setup to start buying rural property to setup my country cafe dream which will be my transition to retirement. So as Lucio says I want to be positively cynical in this gig and not just do my job well and hope others play nice. Any help and tough love greatly appreciated
I'll be one hundred percent honest with you. The part in bold you made it up in your own mind. I respect your desires and I think it's important to chase and fulfill one's desires. However, the problem is (as the buddists noticed) that then we can become trapped by our desires. And that implies ALL of us. That's a human drive that we have to recognize for what it is. That's my opinion. So maybe more practically, my advice although direct, meant that I think taking a wider perspective on your situation would help you to generate more solutions. This might help you to see your goal from a larger perspective and you might find new and/or other ways to fulfill what you're looking for.
I'm sure you're going to find a way!
Thank you for the constructive and incisive reply. Now I get it.
You re absolutely right the goal is very close (15k) to getting over the line comfortably. But getting too attached will feed the monkey mind. Which will be counter productive especially under stress . Strong agree.
I’m happy if this makes sense to you! The problem starts when we think we don’t have a choice. We have a choice and sometimes we choose uncomfortable situations. So now you have a very different problem: you want 15k Australian dollars if I’m correct. That is my point: to take a wider perspective.
Now it’s a very different story!
I found this video by Jocko this morning:
Sorry for TLDR. I'm a kiwi - that is the end destination.
At the moment in NZ they've relaxed the 20% deposit rule on mortgages to 10%. Talking the diff between 65K to buy and 120K. So there's a clock.
And I'll need to leave the bank after this contract to conduct this business - NZ is a small market and I'll be looking in country towns. Probably 3 months to find an OK property without getting screwed to the wall. That's the full background.
