Members Column Day: Attitude and Career

Dear FakeMike, I’m a 45-years-old change management specialist and I’ve been posted on a deep-space assignment where the firm has literally no presence. This comes following a meeting with the head of my BU where I challenged the firm’s way of doing things. My client totally ignores my recommendations and they just let me rot on this 3-year contract, it’s a government agency so they don’t really care. The director ignores my requests to be relocated elsewhere. What should I do? Olivia from Boston

Dear Liv, I’m truly sorry to hear you suffer from social redraw syndrome but let me assure you that your contribution to the bottom line is not ignored and you will be rewarded accordingly. Let me check here, well you did not bring much this year, hey I see here that you’ll be getting a 1% increase this Christmas, you’re one lucky gal.

You complain about loneliness when you should be asking yourself the following question: what have you done to increase our presence at this client? How are working hard enough? Are you coasting through this gig just to rake salary or are you thinking about the firm? Maybe your lonely presence over there is the end result of a long career where your ego – not the firm – took center stage. Your VP noticed that you ignored profitable growth and you did not integrate the firm’s DNA into your way of doing things, and as a result you were sent in the corner of the class.

Government gigs are reserved for subpar consultants, I hope you know that don’t you?

Brown nosing is probably not your cup of tea, this might explain why you’re not a director at your somewhat advanced age. You know, your skills are worth nothing if you cannot schmooze with your business unit top brass. How often did you e-mail your bosses about brilliant idea to dramatically increase revenues while lowering expenses by 5% ? How much free time did you give your BU this year? Let me check PSA here... well, let me just say you did everything for being unnoticed.

This I think it your problem, you’re one selfish little brat. Let me call your VP, I’ll make sure you stay there for a loooong time sweetie. Get used to the gloomy faces working next to you. And don't even think about sending your resume to your contacts, you'll get njoyned real hard..

You have questions about your career in IT consulting? Send your thoughts at fake mike roach at gmail dot com.