Saturday, September 15, 2007

Spoiled Saturday

Looks like it was a bit premature of me to think that I got off lightly this weekend. You know how consultants have these nice mobile phones and/or blackberries, generously provided by the firm? It's so that they can always be reached, 24/7, regardless of what they are up to. I was in a coffee shop this morning, at about noon, meeting a few friends I hadn't seen for ever. That's not because they aren't so very good friends, and it's not because they make themselves scarce: it's because of me and my bloody job (see a variety of previous posts). So we have just gotten our lattes when the company phone rings. It's my project leader (you know, the woman I was telling you about earlier). She has the decency to apologise for the disruption: but as it turns out, our client, the guy in charge, the one who has to sell our project within the company, has been ordered to attend a meeting extraordinaire with members of the board of directors. On Monday morning, first thing. Reason's not quite clear, but it doesn't sound good. So he needs material: summaries of what we've done, successes, to do's, and so forth.

'Sorry, guys', I say as I grab my bike helmet and gulp down my drink, 'have to be off'. They can't believe it. Tell me that I can't let the firm treat me like a slave. Tell me I have to assert my independence. Tell me this is against the Geneva Convention. Yeah, I say, and am gone, heading straight for the office. Whence I have just emerged, nine hours later. One of my friends called a little while ago with an urgent question: 'Why on earth are you putting up with this?', she wants to know.

?????

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

The impression is almost given here that the problems which the project leader may have had in dealing with the client's demands and aspirations may have had something to do with her being a woman, and thus why she was on the verge of bursting into tears, whereas a male project leader would not have done that? Isn't this a trifle if not more than a trifle sexist?