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    <title><![CDATA[Discussion on Handling office politics from the outside ]]></title>
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        <title><![CDATA[LOL]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-242241-2353256]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[Thanks, jdorsey -- I used to get all worked up over things like that.  Maybe I've finally been in this business long enough not to take it too personally.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-242241-2353256]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Sterling "chip" Camden]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Fri, 02 Nov 2007 09:57:47 -0700</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[No chip on your shoulder]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-242241-2353228]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[Pardon the pun, Chip, but sounds like there's no chip on your shoulder; sound advice, too. You're the kind of contractor business people love!]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-242241-2353228]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[janderso@...]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Fri, 02 Nov 2007 08:50:06 -0700</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Probably somewhere in the middle]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-242241-2352523]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[There are &quot;sick&quot; organizations where office politics can spoil even the best efforts, but usually there's a way to mitigate that before it gets out of hand.  Sounds like the typical geek ignorance of sociology to me.  Not that I haven't done exactly the same thing at one time or another.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-242241-2352523]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Sterling "chip" Camden]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Thu, 01 Nov 2007 11:43:41 -0700</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[You got screwed.]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-242241-2352436]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[Sorry, I read your post and for the most part I found it disjointed and full of grammatical errors.No-one attended the company Halowe'en party.  Did you ever stop to think, &quot;star performer&quot;, that maybe they were family people and wanted to spend that time with their family.  This has nothing to do with performance or incentives.A couple of things that I have learned from this business (about 40 years) that you can take to the bank.1) You need to understand that you should be part of the team.  It is always not about me, me, me.  Make sure that you give credit where credit is due.  Compliment the team members and let someone else compliment you in front of your superiors.2) Stop feeling sorry for yourself.  Starting a new consulting firm is not the answer.  It appears that you will need more experience to understand business and business processes.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-242241-2352436]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[mike_patburgess@...]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Thu, 01 Nov 2007 10:35:54 -0700</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[How does one handel Internal office politics from the outside?]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-242241-2351407]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[Having recently come across this dilemma I may have some insight.  The Company a (S.V.) we will call it company X.  Well company X hired a young consultant-(ME) that exceeded all goals set forth while beating most revenue records in the history of the company.  I increased Software Sales by opening new market niches by working with vendors and other third parties to create interfaces such as: the ability to export from QuickBooks to larger Accounting Software like S.B.J. or Great Plains.  Excelling and exceeding expectations is only good when there are the proper internal incentives in place. If no internal incentives are in place it provides for a horrible inner office dynamic.  Working as software apps. Consultant for a S.V dot.com your tech support is like your rope if you were rock climbing.  If the support team has no internal incentives to work harder when client load is increased then the idea of the company increasing revenue and clientele, while losing quality of support and making one young consultants life hell just because he worked to hard.  Example:  The only people to show up to our company Halloween party were; my O.P.S manager, The owner/CEO, CFO and my secretary whom was new and kept asking where is everyone else ...this made the scene even more uncomfortable.  My CEO and CFO should have taken care of their star player by setting internal incentives for the support department so that all consultants? clients are serviced and treated the equally.  All I can say is in the end I got screwed, I was an asset to the company and when your not an asset your a liability......now 28 tried to start my own consulting company but I guess I do not have enough grey hairs, it does not matter that I handled all of the software consulting for the TPC-PGA------Namaste]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-242241-2351407]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[jmk@...]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Wed, 31 Oct 2007 10:19:09 -0700</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Good luck!]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-242241-2351380]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[Sticking to ethical principles isn't just taking a moral stand -- in the end it makes good business sense, because it fosters trust and honesty in the organization.  But nobody said it's always easy, especially when someone in power wants to stretch the rules.  Good luck, jdorsey!]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-242241-2351380]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Sterling "chip" Camden]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Wed, 31 Oct 2007 09:45:48 -0700</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[From the Inside]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-242241-2351320]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[I think this is sound advice, especially if you are on the INSIDE, as I am. It's easy for me though, I have an excellent manager who is willing to stick her neck out for me. It just so happens I am currently facing an issue of an internal customer asking for ways to skirt the &quot;high road.&quot; I will take Chip's advice, too, and try to represent my customer's concerns in a fair manner. Wish me well!]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-242241-2351320]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[janderso@...]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Wed, 31 Oct 2007 08:45:45 -0700</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[That's the most important one!]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-242241-2350584]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[Thanks, alphawiz -- I forgot that one.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-242241-2350584]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Sterling "chip" Camden]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Tue, 30 Oct 2007 09:57:04 -0700</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[RE: Handling office politics from the outside]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-242241-2349415]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[Rule #6:  Send it to Scott Adams.  It's probably excellent Dilbert fodder.  ]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-242241-2349415]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[alphawiz]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Mon, 29 Oct 2007 06:28:31 -0700</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Not their job]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-242241-2348842]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[It's really not up to the client to look out for the contractors' rights -- it's up to the contractor to establish and demand those rights.  The client has to stay focused on their business, and it's not unreasonable to assume that they will take every advantage offered to them.  It's our job not to offer anything that we don't want them to take.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-242241-2348842]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Sterling "chip" Camden]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Sat, 27 Oct 2007 13:27:43 -0700</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Thanks, IMFerret]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-242241-2348841]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[I've often maintained that employees should treat their employers as clients rather than as parents.  You're providing a service for which they are paying, and when you think of them as your customer you'll not only assume more power over your own work, but you'll provide better service, too.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-242241-2348841]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Sterling "chip" Camden]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Sat, 27 Oct 2007 13:25:15 -0700</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Setting expectations]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-242241-2348840]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[You're right, one of the most important things to do is to set expectations appropriately up front:  hours worked, payment terms, delivery schedules, etc.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-242241-2348840]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Sterling "chip" Camden]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Sat, 27 Oct 2007 13:21:42 -0700</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[Bad experience]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-242241-2348839]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[I certainly hope that isn't the norm, Jack.  It hasn't been my experience generally.  For a few years I was billing a client a flat fee per month and that often involved extra hours, but as soon as I switched them to hourly I made it clear that they would be billed for every extra hour.The IRS does have rules about  Common-Law Employee status.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-242241-2348839]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Sterling "chip" Camden]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Sat, 27 Oct 2007 13:16:50 -0700</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Moral high ground]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-242241-2348837]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[You're absolutely right about that, rscholz.  If you give in on your principles once, it's a whole lot easier for them to expect you to compromise in the future.Besides that, if you show yourself to be guided by ethical principles, they'll trust you not to stab  them in the back.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-242241-2348837]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Sterling "chip" Camden]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Sat, 27 Oct 2007 13:09:50 -0700</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Many times, you just can't win and are better off leaving the place]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-242241-2347540]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[such as what I had to do because an arrogant Canadian based banking institution I was contracting for kept treating me like an employee and not like an independent contractor.  They tried to subject me to all sorts of idiotic policies and other financial disclosure crap, which I dismissed and didn't give them squat.  The final straw was when the idiot IT director passed on my personal cell phone number to his secretary and then I saw my personal cell phone number published in the corporate directory for everyone to see.  Mind you, my contract stipulated a 40 hour work week with no overtime or off hour/weekend support, yet everyone now had my cell phone number and would start annoying me on the weekends and evening for every outage and such.  If I couldn't bill them for it, I didn't want to hear about it.  I had no choice but to give them the old middle finger salute and take my business elsewhere because they were insistent on controlling me like an employee, yet they knew I was an independent contractor.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-242241-2347540]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Big Ole Jack]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Thu, 25 Oct 2007 20:38:38 -0700</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Being a former I.C., I had to keep reminding them I wasn't an employee.]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-242241-2347538]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[I once got into a very heated and anger fueled argument with a former client of mine because they published my private cell phone number in a corporate directory for everyone when I made it loud and clear to them that is was my &quot;personal&quot; cell phone and that I DO NOT provide any support outside of the normal hours stipulated in my contract.  Yes, it's nice to feel important and such, but I do not need or want to be called after hours or on weekends by other IT staff if I cannot bill them for the consulting time.  Also, I've been in situations where they tried to subject me to their stupid corporate surveys and disclosures of financial assets and such, being that they were a financial institution.  Sorry, but I downright refused to let them know how much money I have in my accounts and was quick to remind them that I was not on their payroll and was being paid on a 1099 basis through an agency.  Also, they tried to dictate my hours and again, I reminded them that they cannot tell me when and how I work because I was not an employee. They pissed me off so much that I threated to go to the IRS and have them investigated because they were classifying me as an independent contractor, yet were trying to treat me like an employee.  Is this a common trend among companies, or did I just end up working for a bunch of morons who didn't know any better?]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-242241-2347538]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Big Ole Jack]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Thu, 25 Oct 2007 20:29:28 -0700</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[RE: Handling office politics from the outside]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-242241-2347551]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[A client may have a tough time separating its own interests with their contractors causing great conflicts of interests with all parties.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-242241-2347551]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[jeezmah@...]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Thu, 25 Oct 2007 18:50:47 -0700</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Good for we poor employees as well.... :)]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-242241-2347251]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[Those of us employeed and dealing with these very things can greatly benefit as well.For myself, operating as a Security professional in an organization largely disinterested in security, I have found myself acting simply as a consultant. As such, I offer the recommendation, document it, engage any discussions, but let the organization make the ultimate decision.So step 1: recommend whats right for the business.Step 2: Unfortunately, when 'daddy' doesn't get it, you've got to try to make your case as delicately but effectively as possible. Which flows into 3 &amp; 4: Can't take it personally when your opinion isn't agreed with.Step 5 is simply good ethics.Overall: Very good, succinct, post! Thanks!]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-242241-2347251]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[IMFerret]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Thu, 25 Oct 2007 10:32:25 -0700</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[RE: Handling office politics from the outside]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-242241-2347164]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[This is an excellent reminder for consultants *and* the people who hire us.  When I am meeting with a new client, I pretty much touch on all these points when I am telling them about who I am and what they can expect from me.  I find it really puts me on their team before I've even started, because they see that I am looking out for them from day one.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-242241-2347164]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[kbugiell@...]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Thu, 25 Oct 2007 09:12:21 -0700</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[RE: Handling office politics from the outside]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-242241-2346897]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[Those who advocate the 9th commandment (i.e don't gossip) and follow it will meet with success.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-242241-2346897]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[joestuffsda@...]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Thu, 25 Oct 2007 05:34:48 -0700</pubDate>
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