I am a mid-level professional in a non-governmental organization, and until recently, was fairly happy. However, about nine months ago, my boss hired a full-time consultant to do a number of specific jobs out in the field (our org has field offices all over the world, I am in the HQ). My boss thinks very highly of this consultant. However, this consultant is very ambitious, and seems to take pleasure in intruding in areas that are traditionally my territory, and are well-beyond her terms of reference. She also has apparently made statements (within the org) maligning other programmes that come under our department (and were not within her TORs).
This has obviously caused me a lot of angst, and I want to do something about it. I have spoken to the consultant directly, but she didn’t care to listen, as I am not her supervisor. As I said, my boss thinks very highly of her and as far as I can tell, is not aware of these negatives. Regarding my boss, she is generally a nice person, but unfortunately a very poor manager with no understanding of team dynamics and team building. Past efforts to raise team issues with her have not gotten me anywhere.
So I am at a loss at what to do. How do I/should I tell my boss about the activities of this consultant and my own job frustrations as a result? Do I tell her that she needs to keep this consultant on a tighter rein? How do I make it not seem petty? I guess I find this difficult because I am basically complaining about a colleague and at the same time, am telling my boss to do her job better (though of course that is not how I would put it).
What exactly is the specific issue? What exactly is the role of this particular consultant? Are they a “management consultant” (like from McKinsey or Accenture), a contractor (an independent brought in to perform a specific function) or a temp? How is it interfearing with your job? As a consultant myself, I often see a lot of resistance from our clients staff level employees. We are generally there to suggest or implement some kind of change and quite often people take exception to having their apple cart moved.
Remember, your boss only cares that your job gets done, he doesn’t care if it’s you or someone else that does it. You need to approach your boss with more than a pissing contest between you and the consultant.
I work for a development organization, implementing humanitarian aid projects around the world. My job is to oversee large development projects in 15 countries. This consultant was hired to guide the planning and implementation of a specific methodology (on which she is an expert) in about 8 sites. I think that would make her a contractor. The problem is that she is not limiting her role to those 8 sites, but increasingly getting herself involved in other sites, and in projects not related to her methodology.
Besides the fact that the consultant is directly undermining our department’s credibility in certain instances, it interferes with my job in that my boss is allowing her to muscle into areas where I have put in months of work already.
Sorry to be so vague, but I don’t want to reveal who I work for!
I would suggest requesting written reports on what you perceive as intrusions from the consultant. And keep pushing if she doesn’t come through.
This will help you develop an organized and specific agenda for a discussion with your boss.
AND she might actually have some good ideas that you aren’t really hearing because she’s annoying you so much.
You could also be persistent in insisting her suggestions be implemented in her original sphere, evaluated for effectiveness, and then incorporated in your programs if they are effective. Which has the advantage of being a good idea.
I’m speaking as someone who has been on the receiving end of this kind of thing. First, document how this has affected the effectiveness of the organization. Do you have comments from clients/customers (whoever they are in your situation) that you have lost credibility? Have things taken longer? Has she fallen behind her assigned responsibilities by broadening her sphere?
What won’t work is compaining because she is on your turf. If the goss likes her, the response could well be that you could learn from her.
Being positive also might help. Speaking highly of her, but reporting some negatives from others, makes it sound like you are working for the good of the origanization (which is true, I’m sure) not for your own agenda.