I am apparently not a team player
Last Friday at work, I was asked to take on some additional work because a prospective customer wanted our company to provide a special, non-standard service as part of a sale. Unfortunately I am not comfortable elaborating with any details on this blog, but it was made clear to me that this non-standard service was a make or break deal with the sale and that the case would be "very profitable" according to the financial people working on it. However, I was expected to add an undefined amount of additional work that could get especially nasty and distracting if we didn't protect ourselves well from a legal perspective when signing the contract with the customer. Furthermore, this was for a product that I am not even responsible for and a service that is more accounting focused than actuarial.
Because of the potential burden on my whichever staff member I gave this assignment to, my current priorities at work, and the poor fit with my job objectives, I said 'no' to the person that asked for my help. It might be the first time I said 'no' to something like this before and I am afraid that I angered some higher up people with my decision (including someone that might have a say in the next role I get at this company). Before I made the call, I did receive buy-in from my boss and my "dotted line" boss that I was making the right decision. However, I have to meet with this guy and my "dotted line" boss tomorrow morning to further defend my position.
I want to help out with this case. Really, I do. I know better than to be an antagonist at work about something like this. However, charging a customer next to nothing for a service that might require 1/2 of a full time employee seems rather stupid. Furthermore, if I explained what I have been asked to do, you'd realize that there is major "blow up" potential involved. I really hope that the rest of this case is extremely profitable because we are offering a labor intensive service for next to nothing and at the expense of other projects I am responsible for that could make the company a lot more money. Hopefully I get backed up in the meeting tomorrow or provided an additional staff member to focus solely on the new work I may get assigned. I'm already stretched thin as it is right now with my team. Otherwise, I hope we lose the case to the other company we are competing against.
As for the obligatory training line, I swam 1/2 mile and biked 7 miles this evening at the gym. I am exhausted tonight, but not nearly as sore as I was at work today. I am declaring tomorrow a day of rest, partially because the JCC is closed for Passover and partially because I just need a night to relax. Maybe I'll go bike shopping. I'll pick the training up again on Wednesday with a run, hopefully.
Because of the potential burden on my whichever staff member I gave this assignment to, my current priorities at work, and the poor fit with my job objectives, I said 'no' to the person that asked for my help. It might be the first time I said 'no' to something like this before and I am afraid that I angered some higher up people with my decision (including someone that might have a say in the next role I get at this company). Before I made the call, I did receive buy-in from my boss and my "dotted line" boss that I was making the right decision. However, I have to meet with this guy and my "dotted line" boss tomorrow morning to further defend my position.
I want to help out with this case. Really, I do. I know better than to be an antagonist at work about something like this. However, charging a customer next to nothing for a service that might require 1/2 of a full time employee seems rather stupid. Furthermore, if I explained what I have been asked to do, you'd realize that there is major "blow up" potential involved. I really hope that the rest of this case is extremely profitable because we are offering a labor intensive service for next to nothing and at the expense of other projects I am responsible for that could make the company a lot more money. Hopefully I get backed up in the meeting tomorrow or provided an additional staff member to focus solely on the new work I may get assigned. I'm already stretched thin as it is right now with my team. Otherwise, I hope we lose the case to the other company we are competing against.
As for the obligatory training line, I swam 1/2 mile and biked 7 miles this evening at the gym. I am exhausted tonight, but not nearly as sore as I was at work today. I am declaring tomorrow a day of rest, partially because the JCC is closed for Passover and partially because I just need a night to relax. Maybe I'll go bike shopping. I'll pick the training up again on Wednesday with a run, hopefully.
posted by GaryGinew at 9:39 PM
4 Comments:
If it's any consolation, it sounds to me like you have reasoning for saying no. One piece of advice I would have is to approach tomorrow's meeting with the goal of trying to learn as much about the potential client as possible in hopes of working with the underwriter to make the best business decision, rather than trying to "defend your position." We'll call it a "lesson learned" that I've recently had where if you spend the first 10 minutes asking questions and engaging the other person in the business decision, it might be an easier discussion. Plus, we all know underwriters and sales' members that would say "very profitable" and mean 10K. However, if very profitable means $500K, then it's not very hard to draft a business case for extra resources to satisfy this one client.
Good luck!
such dorks you people are. and coming from a webmaster, that's bad.
Mouse,
I'd ban you from this blog for life for that comment, but I need friends. I have no backbone. Thanks.
gary,
not only do you have no backbone, you also don't have the technological skill to ban me from this blog for life. nice try, though. I will continue to insult you at will. :)
your friendly local webmistress
Post a Comment
<< Home