Watergirl's World: Sometimes I think I should have stayed with the enemy I knew

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December 06, 2006

Sometimes I think I should have stayed with the enemy I knew

Even though my supervisor had told me on Thursday, "Don't worry about the car," I was called into a meeting with the project manager today. First, he told me that I had to set up twice daily meetings with my design lead, because this is my first design. Which is true, but I know that, am completely terrified of screwing up, and plan on spending a lot of time in his office.

Then he said, "I've heard rumblings about the car thing. What's going on?" I told him my concerns. Not only did he tell me that three of us have to share one car, he also threw the fact that he is letting me fly home this weekend in my face. Had I known that was a possiblity, I would have bought my own damn ticket.

I left the conference room where he was sitting, and I got so angry that I could not breathe. A colleague took me into his office to calm me down. He also said, "No project is worth getting this upset. No job is worth getting this upset."

He's right. I'm trying to see if I can get off this project. I like the people I work with, and I don't want to leave this company, but I can't do this. We've been told it's through March, but it may be through June or later. If I can't be taken off of this project, I will be using all downtime to find another job. Not in consulting.

05:35 PM

Comments

Oh god. I'm sorry it's gotten that bad. Hang in there... Hugs...

Posted by lastewie at December 6, 2006 09:07 PM

As a recent refugee from really sucky consulting travel, I sympathize. Don't let the project manager get you down. You may not be as contentious with the powers that be as I was at my (former) job, but here is some of my completely useless and unsolicited advice ***WARNING big rant ahead*** 1 - Do not apologize for having a life. Your are ALLOWED to have a life. It makes "their" life easier if you don't but your job isn't to make their life easier, it is to design whatever the job calls for. 2 - Stick up for yourself (even if it is only to yourself). From what I've read on your blog, if the deal was you fly home and everyone signed off on it, then the PM should stop whining. Of course the PM isn't going to like it; his job is to keep the budget low. Your supervisor's job was to keep you utilized. This culminated in your Gainesville posting and to make this happen (ie., get you to agree to go)certain conditions were offered and agreed to (like flying home). If the PM doesn't like it, he should have said something before it was OK'd and not throw it in your face now. In fact you may be an unfortunate bystander in someone else's pissing match (which it sounds like he lost). If the PM is groaning about the cost of an airline ticket, then how much would it cost to bring another designer up to speed on the project? 3 - And remember, they aren't doing you a FAVOR. You are doing a job. You are being paid to do a job. When that job takes you out of town, then there a certain expenses incurred. You could certainly travel more cheaply (hop a freight train?) but travel reimbursements tend to vary a lot like salary. You are a highly educated, skilled, and experienced professional! (repeat this mantra) If the PM thought he could get the 3 of you to sleep under a tarp at the local KOA, then he might push for it. And some people may be willing to do that if they are desperate for the work. But if your company wants a professional with specific skills on-site then they have to provide a higher level of compensation (and if it isn't in salary then it needs to be in lodging and travel amenities--like a phone, a car, a schedule you can live with). So they aren't doing you a FAVOR by letting you spend 1/2 your life for the next few months away from home, letting you fly in the big big plane, letting you share the shiny car, or letting you stay in the hotel with running water and wireless internet. They aren't doing you a favor--it is the price of doing business. When I started working in consulting many moons ago, an "old-timer" gave me the following advice about business travel: "Make'em pay." That seemed pretty harsh to me at first but after counting up my travel one year and finding I had spent 150+ nights in a hotel instead of my own bed (while others with the same job description and salary got to spend almost every night in their own bed) I thought, "Damn right." Of course, this is why I am now a lowly grad student. Again. I ended up leaving consulting because of the travel. The travel made me feel all important and grown up at first but after a while I felt like I was missing out on my own life. And then I realized that sitting in a hotel by myself watching too much tv all night with insomnia was my life. That was scary and made me feel very old and lost. And even when I got home I would feel out sorts and all I could think about was the next trip I would leave on in a few days. Packing my suitcase made me physically ill. Not fun. Not worth it. So I quit. Now I'm poorer but really enjoy being back in school and waking up in my own bed every morning. --OK, sorry for the long rant but I have been through the ringer you described so many times it isn't funny. Don't dwell on the PM and his comments too much. Hopefully he was just having a bad day and things will get better. Good luck.

Posted by lori at December 7, 2006 12:26 AM

P.S. I was going for the record of your longest comment ever. (Matt is laughing at me.) Did I win?

Posted by lori at December 7, 2006 12:29 AM

Sorry things are continuing to go poorly for you. Randy happened to be talking to some of his coworkers about the car situation (because they travel sometimes too) and they had a decent suggestion. They suggested that you look in the newspaper for a cheap car that still runs and buy it for when you are there. You could leave it in the hotel parking lot when you are back home and then at the end or the project you could donate it to some place like The American Heart Association and get a tax write off.

Posted by TRGirl at December 7, 2006 10:14 AM

In the line of TRGirl's comment on getting around the restricted car use, there is another tactic. If you need to go somewhere and the car is unavailable, call a taxi. Charge it to the company. There and back. Project expense!

Posted by lori at December 7, 2006 11:59 AM

Lori gave you some good advice. Sometimes the consulting business just sucks...I have felt the same way at times. So I know what you're feeling...

Posted by Angela at December 7, 2006 01:07 PM

With all due respect to Randy, there is no way you should buy a car for your business travel. When you buy a car, you (and your personal insurance) assume all risk for owning the car. You have to take care of the registration and any applicable tax and title fees. Depending on the state, you may have to have it inspected and registered and you have to add it to your insurance. If you own the car and something happens you are screwed royally. I agree with what Lori said about charging taxi fair to your projects (even better, try charging to office overhead). They asked you to give up 66% of your home life for the next 4+ months so make them pay for the stuff you expect to have at home. Finally, if your PM is "letting" you have the weekend to yourself (what a guy) then enjoy it and don't give it anymore thought until next Monday.

Posted by matt at December 7, 2006 03:24 PM

I agree very strongly with Lori's outlook. You are a professional expert, recruited for your exceptional skills and qualifications. They need YOU. You are valuable. Don't let yourself be convinced otherwise.

Posted by dreadmouse at December 8, 2006 12:22 PM

I agree with dreadmouse!

Posted by Janet at December 8, 2006 07:44 PM