Aunty Entity: Indispensable Project Managers
Dear Aunty Entity,
How can a freelance project manager make themselves indispensable to their new employers?
Signed, Daria
Dear Daria,
Let’s get one thing clear. No-one but no-one is indispensable in a workplace unless you own the company and even then you can be taken over, edged out or just plain fired if it’s big enough….
Freelance project managers are usually hired on a temporary project by project basis – when the project is over, so is your contract. To ensure you stay in their memory and get asked back, ask yourself the following:
- Are you comfortable with doing what has been asked of you?
- Are you generally fun to be around?
- Do you look like you belong there?
- Are you available when required?
…and probably most importantly:
- Do you fill out your timesheets on time and accurately? (essential for billing)
- Do you start and end your day at the preferred times?
- Do you follow company protocol for purchasing/booking resources for your project?
- Do you pitch in – answer phones, keep the kitchen area clean?
In many cases when a freelancer has been asked to stay on for another job it’s usually because they fit the environment culturally and they are perceived to be easy to work with, rather than specific skills they may have. Remember it’s not just your employer who is watching you – the team your have been hired to work with will also give their views when asked. While it is accepted that you will not get on with every single person you work with, words like: ‘control-freak’, ‘psycho’ or ‘crap’, applied to you in feedback probably won’t win you a second gig.
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I definitely agree that you must be able to seamlessly integrate into the culture.
It might also be important to excel at the following skills:
1) Make the client feel like they have hired the best possible person for the job.
2) You are able to provide the best possible quality of work for the price they are paying.
3) You are able to ask the right questions to illicit the responses needed to get a project done. This is a good skill to have because often clients know what they want done but they don’t know how to ask for it.
4) You can see beyond the scope of the immediate project and can forecast any future problems that may arise.
5) Back your opinions with ample evidence. Just because it seems obvious to you, your client may not have the same background and knowledge that would enable them to agree with you.
OK OK Look at the fact that the work qualities are second to the spin. Not a hater and all but the good people with good ideas get canned first. The Spin takes exemption to enforce an unspoken rule that we must kizz that backside of the one that employs us. We lose our perspective on which the employer takes their ego and makes it a part of the job description. Meanwhile the quality of the product is shot and the customer satisfaction level is low. Sounds familiar???? I have a Excellent attitude yet the good gal took the wrap for the big wigs that needed to maintain a lifestyle only afforded to them. I hope and pray this works out and there are more resources funded tomorrow to get workers back on the job to get this thing right. Businesses need to respect everyone for their cooperation, contribution flexibility and high work level. I had some constraints (such as the need to telecommute in the evenings to take care of my child) and needed accomodation. My work effort was beyond 100 percent yet the economic structure and this type of performance stated my high level performance with beyond pleasant attitude was not enough tio be employed. This is ridiculous they fire the good people and the disabled but allow psychopathic egomanics to run organizations…Let’s be real people and speak up and ask for our jobs back for merit and principle and the good common sense to make this system right for every american and start reporations for all so people can go back to work and be peaceful. Look around this is not a game, this is serious.