How do I negotiate being sabotaged by another contractor?

Anonymous

November 5,2022 at 7:29PM UTC

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How do I negotiate being sabotaged by another contractor?

Apologies in advance for the length.

I'm on a new project that is quite plumb and it's my first time with the agency. If things go well, it could become a long-term gig.

I have a senior role on the team, working full-time with a Project Manager from the same agency and "managing" some other part-time contractors with the same agency.

The client has MANY other PMs on the project and "something" happened and our PM was removed. Before they left they warned me about some of the issues. I even reached out to my agency, giving them a head's up that we were getting conflicting information from various groups and PMs.

HOURS after my PM left, I needed to assign work to my contractors. Part of my role was to work with the PM to make sure the other contractors were fully utilized. I assigned the work and updated a preliminary project plan my PM had been working on, so the other PMs would know the work was assigned.

Long story short, a PM from another agency took over and asked me about touching the project plan and "who told you you could do that?" I explained that I couldn't assign work without letting my team know how much time they had, and that I updated the dates accordingly. She was NOT happy.

I hate PMing, and while the new PM was "nice/mean" about it, I was fine having them take it over.

I again gave a head's up to my agency about it so there weren't any surprises if the client said anything. My agency said the PM reached out to them but said she was sooooo sweet and how she thanked me for my work.

I JUST found out from a recorded Teams meeting (the PM recorded it and TOLD me to watch it) and she TOTALLY threw me under the bus to leadership. I don't think she realized that she'd recorded that part of the meeting. She to told the client how I "destroyed" the project plan, that I "tried to take over without permission" and how she had to "stop a meeting" that I was running because I "didn't have a clue what I was doing."

Honestly, when I first met the PM, I did make some assumptions about her and had been telling myself that I shouldn't assume things about her simply because of how she looked. Now though, after seeing the recording, I realize my instincts were right! I DON'T think she knows what she's doing, I think that she puts on a fake sweet demeanor to get her way. And I think that the first PM knew this and called her out on it, and I'm next on her list.

I don't want to make waves but am worried. If this is what she's doing so early in the project, I can only imagine what she'll do as deadlines get closer.

So now I'm stuck. I don't know if I should share it with my agency, who thinks this PM is lovely (and now I look like a troublemaker), call the PM out on it (and likely be removed), or try to suck it up and toe the line (but likely be blamed for the project going south because she honestly DOESN'T know what she's doing).

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Heather CutlerNovember 5,2022 at 7:48PM UTC
I’d share this recorded meeting with your agency and ask your supervisor for direction on managing this uncomfortable dynamic. I applaud your high level of self awareness and willingness to raise proactively, these repeated disclosures to your agency about these brewing issues give you credibility.
As you’re already doing, I’m sure, remain focused on completing the project on time and within budget. I’d articulate this anytime there’s an uncomfortable conversation with this person.
I worked with someone like this. Sugary-sweet In our exchanges but with a side dish of ‘go eff yourself.’ It’s no fun! You’re instincts are correct. I’d remain on high alert.
Best wishes as you navigate this challenging situation.
AnonymousNovember 6,2022 at 12:16AM UTC
I have experienced something very similar. A well-known Big4 consulting firm hired 5 project managers to work at a client site, and I was the "lead" PM. All was fine very early on, however I learned that the Big4 consulting firm Manager was based on the East Coast and this client engagement was in California. The expectations of my role were never shared with me, but I made sure all of the PMs knew which parts and pieces of this very large portfolio of projects they were working on. It soon became clear that one of these PMs (who was hired under the title of "Project Analyst" whereas I was hired as a "Principal Project Manager") was not qualified, and beyond that, she wanted to be the "Lead" and even told me so. She would not complete her assignments or would do shoddy work which made me look bad when I had to report progress to the client. She would take 3-hour lunches and at times refused to come to meetings. I had no help from the consulting firm other than via phone/email. I was given a "lead" title but had absolutely no power. So, it was a losing battle. They ended up letting me go in favor of the unqualified person. The worst part about this is the optics of it all. I am a white woman, and the difficult party was a black woman. She took issue with me right away while the other PMs were great to work with (one other female plus two men). The other PMs (none of whom were black) could not understand why I was being let go, except that one of them said something to the effect of that if you are of a certain race, you are untouchable. If this is true, then they have no choice but to let the white woman go. Unfair yes, but when race is involved, companies don't want any racial discrimination lawsuits, so they take the easy way out.