TCO is causing a confrontation at work and needs Ming style consultation

[TCO]

I am in a standoff at work. Am leading a very exciting business analysis of several businesses to look at options for them. Am leading 3 full time resources. Totally using consultant style training. Even my team loves me (after some initial kerfuffles, but we have stormed/normed/conformed and now they say they like what we are doing way better than six sigma crap.) I mean in the middle of all kinds of economy and politics and different interests and the like, I am basically doing a great job.

Anyhow, this all fits under a general corp restructuring/turnaround thing that is going on at the highest levels. And in general, people working on this stuff are next to getting fired. Except in our SBU they aren't . But my little team is different. And so am I. But I am technically part of the overall pool of walking dead. And they are ordering me to go to a week of useless training at corporate. And I refuse. I got the notice Thursday. And as far as I'm concerned, they are getting better than corporate problem solving at corporate salary. So I won't humble mysefl to go to a useless training. Plus I am the leader. Plus for various reasons, I am on the "list", but some of my team is not. One is, two aren't. That guy has 25 years in and is going. I have refused. And may get terminated Monday. The other two don't have to. Even though we are doing the same work.

Oh...and I am compiling a review for our first critical business review for Friday, and they want me to go to training in a different city on Monday. And I refused. It's useless trianing and I want to lead my team and I'm like why they heck am I caught up in this. Late this afternoon it reached a burning point with people coming to talk to me and me refusing training causeing a kerfuffle between SBU and corporate.

Lot of drama. I don't want to knuckle under.

Thoughts?

[Theben]

Do you want to keep your job or not. Corporate heads aren't known for compassion when it comes to insubordination.

If you do and continue to insist on refusal, have someone above you with influence back you up. A friend of mine started blowing off meetings from his boss b/c they were having meetings just before they went home and then had one in the morning when they arrived, and he was giving the same report in the morning he gave at night, which interfered with his work. His manager stuck up for him and the morning meetings were canceled, and he kept his job, even though his boss was royally peeved at him.

[MOBIUS]

Thoughts?

Don't troll their forum.

[TCO]

Right now, the VPGM (over billion dollar responsibility) and my bosses boss has said through others but not to me, that dire steps will be taken if I stand firm. What do y'all think? Man up and look the dude in the face and let it play out? Or puss out? Have had sevearl calls from old bosses, sponsors of current work, current boss, etc. asking me to knucle under.

[MOBIUS]

I think you should tell them that they r all gay *****, Hardman stylee

[Asher]

TCO, do you do project management at all?

You're a really sharp guy and I could all but guarantee I could land you a position in NY or Toronto if you needed one doing project management work (we're looking for PMs in both, as well as Dubai). You'd fit right in at my company, and the CEO & President are very much your kind of people.

[TCO]

You know...I am actually capable of that. Talked to a (non manager, but in team sense meta supervisor) and he loves me and wants me to knuckle under and we talked about how I had a teacher who was a VN POW and then a team mate who was GW POW (Zaun) and then we talked about his own total family dramas...and how that is way more balls out than corporate crap. And it ended up making me feel that the whole kerfuffle is minor. That said...there may be a denoument on Monday...

[TCO]

I might need one, Ashie. Am surprised that you are ok. Was worried with banking sector tankage. I can program manage fine (in general, in theory, for change management, overall programs with business emphasis). I am totally light on computer crap, but if you can horse me up on how to play make believe or even just admit low level of knowledge (but general ability to contribute) we might have a spot.

When do you need the person?

What is the day rate?

How do we leverage general all around middle fielder abiliites while minimizing lack of gomputer tech?

[TCO]

No way are the CEO and president my kind of people. If they were, I would hold them down and make homo babies with them. And I'm hetero.

[Asher]

I might need one, Ashie. Am surprised that you are ok. Was worried with banking sector tankage. I can program manage fine (in general, in theory, for change management, overall programs with business emphasis).

My company's all but abruptly left the banking sector. We still got some big contracts with some big players like Barclays, but they're legacy stuff and we're not hunting for more work there. Right now our big ticket is government work (from state education stuff to DoD) and we're huge on MS partnership. Our problem right now is Microsoft is referring so much business to us we actually can't keep up, we're turning down lucrative projects for big names just because we can't staff them -- particularly the management side of things (Project Managers & Team Leads). And they are exceptionally picky about who they do pick.

I am totally light on computer crap, but if you can horse me up on how to play make believe or even just admit low level of knowledge (but general ability to contribute) we might have a spot.

Doesn't matter -- just admit low level of knowledge. It's a full-out project management office and position, it's more about general intelligence and communication skills. Any tech stuff you'll need to know, you can go right to the team lead/architect on the project who handles all of the technical stuff. They report to you and you just manage the project (manage expectations, resourcing, budgeting, negotiation, etc).

When do you need the person?

What is the day rate?

Person is needed ASAP. It's a smallish company, 200 people in about 5 cities right now...agile is the name of the game. Their mentality is if there's an intelligent person that fits with the company's attitudes, they nab them. There's no hiring cycles or specific projects they're hiring for, they always want more. I do know specifically right now Microsoft's throwing tons of projects down our throats and we have to decline many of them, so they would like to have the resourcing ASAP.

I can't speak for the day rate (it's not my department). I can hook you up with the head of HR/resourcing and go from there. It might be tricky for them to get past the initial screen if you don't have any PM work specifically on the resume but I can talk to her and work something out, maybe.

How do we leverage general all around middle fielder abiliites while minimizing lack of gomputer tech?

The department is full of people without computer tech experience. You're not expected to really know or need to know much of it. The project architect and/or team lead handle all of that, PMs handle the business side of things.

It's a serious offer to hook you up if you need it...we can talk more via PM/IM/email if you want.

[Asher]

No way are the CEO and president my kind of people. If they were, I would hold them down and make homo babies with them. And I'm hetero.

Trust me, you're 100% compatible with the CEO and owner especially. He's an extremely bright guy with a terrific sense of humour and a penchant for off-colour jokes. He loves people who tell it like it is and he does the same.

[Asher]

And would you be up for Dubai? If you were up for Dubai, which is the hardest to staff, the odds of getting hired really skyrocket.

[Grandpa Troll]

I might need one, Ashie. Am surprised that you are ok. Was worried with banking sector tankage. I can program manage fine (in general, in theory, for change management, overall programs with business emphasis). I am totally light on computer crap, but if you can horse me up on how to play make believe or even just admit low level of knowledge (but general ability to contribute) we might have a spot.

When do you need the person?

What is the day rate?

How do we leverage general all around middle fielder abiliites while minimizing lack of gomputer tech?

TCO

Im not busting you, just sharing since you posted in an open forum.

But as a long time manager who is also very successful and also have many skills missing that say someone with proper education would have, Im more old school, for real, one of the last to "come up through the ranks" as in I have literally done it all in the Ready Mix Concrete Business, I only implore to be honest and not deceive, on "faking' it

I sure would have loved to hook up with you on our recent trip, but was not meant to be.

Just sharing, it does not bode well and very well could come back to bite you my friend.

I leanr things new everyday and while some upper management wont admit it, you allways learn or at least should.

i just get pained when I see a talented person sell themselves short by deception when it is so much more appealing to a perspective employer to know you need to learn, are capable of learning and are not afraid to take on new direction

Your an investment for them and could parlay into perhaps something bigger.


Just sharing my friend is all

[TCO]

Dude...the whole thing sounds like worth doing just for a lark. Would round out my paperboy, submarine officer, ski instructor background.

Dubai...I mean...it's possible. Sounds harsh. I asked a PM for Richmond City (ACS I think) who I drink with at happy hour for you a couple weeks ago and he passed on Dubai. Could I free lance on the weekend and go after the 50 mil? NY or Toronto sound a lot more socially friendly.

Totally ballsy offer to pass the resume and who knows. If you want and are discrete, I can pass one to you by PM. FYI. I'm actually not terminated yet. We still need to reach the climax of the drama.

[TCO]

Troll...spell it out more specifically please. Lay it on the line, simple like, please. Ummm...sorry to miss you too.