Prior to my acquaintance with this board I had not realized the immense size of the market for orked bovines.
Really, though, a thought and a question. Ook! Spoiler for the party posters (and I’m one often enough) - this might not be a fun(!) one. And spoiler for the rest - I probably need to go stream of consciousness to get it out (l-o-o-n-n-nnng day).
OK, so I’ve a co-worker who’s been a contract consultant for two 3-month contracts and the last time it came up for renewal nothing happened. He sent the paperwork in and it never came back. He’s still getting paid on a regular basis, but I know, from what he’s telling me, that he’s a bit demoralized. That comes from the month-to-month lease on his life that has developed.
OTOH, he’s been semi-independent (unlike my situation where I developed, with my partner, a practice that involved taking on all that came and went), i.e., he has been quasi-employed, without the employee status, by a South African independent most of his working life. And that went poof! So now he’s a real independent.
Where can I go? OK, he is a good geologist, and I think he’s brought some good one’s to the table. He has been advised by the local Big Guy (organizationally my peer, but definitely senior) that he needs to pick up the presentation. And he won’t act on any of Big Guy’s suggestions.
He won’t act because he is demoralized. Not much I can do about that. I want to get him on the team, but Big Guy, in passing, asked me “What’s wrong with that guy?” Sounded like the kiss of death, frankly.
So, my options at this point, appear to be that I can take over his next project and ramrod it myself or kiss him goodbye and wish him luck.
