They're going to get rid of me, aren't they?

[nametakenalready]

Along with the rest of my team, I?m on a contract with about 12 months to go. The organisation has just won a contract for another few years, and there are strong indicators that most of the team will be staying on. From where I am sitting, there are equally strong indicators that I won?t be.

I?ve asked my boss (diplomatically, I think) and he?s been full of praise for my performance but evades the question. A document which I requested to inform another piece of work had my job rewritten as a dual and less strategic role. In fact, it matches the current work undertaken by another member of staff, who is currently temporary and I?ve been mentoring/giving work to and who is due to be interviewed for a permanent post. I?ve also started to notice little things which could be paranoia but start to create a pattern ? emails not answered; ideas not taken forward.

I think I can see very clearly what?s happening here ? the new person is being primed for my role. I can see the business case for this. I think it?s about the stuff we do. This person is very able at a broad range of stuff. I am able at a higher range of stuff (at least, I thought I was) ? but it?s in a narrower range of stuff. If it weren?t for me losing my job to pay for theirs, I?d say good luck to them.

The thing is, when you?re told that you?re doing great work but you pick up that they aren?t going to extend the contract ? it sends you a bit nutty. I?m starting to doubt my ability as if I were so useful, wouldn?t they keep me?

I will of course be dignified about it, but inside I?m a bit of a mess. Can someone give me a pep talk please?

If there's a whole year left to go I think it's a bit premature to be leaping to those conclusions, and you'll drive yourself potty if you spend the next year looking for signs.

If they do want to reduce the numbers and have only one instead of both of you, then obviously it's a possibility they might end up making you redundant at the end of your contract and keeping the other member of staff only.

But you are sounding a bit paranoid tbh. Do you have any other reason to think they won't want to keep you on, bearing in mind you're getting great feedback about your performance?

Ultimately, if later on you become certain (rather than overthinking it) that you are going, you can start putting out feelers for your next role elsewhere, but until then, your best bet is to get your head down, keep performing well, hope that is recognised and see what happens.

Thanks for the reply Flowery. I understand that it might seem a bit paranoid. But it doesn't feel like paranoia. Maybe I haven't explained the context very well. I have had conversations along the lines of 'well, of course, it's a shame we don't know what will happen to your post' whereas others are being given work which extends over the next few years. (I'm not being petty - what they are given is nothing to do with me; it just seems to indicate that their longevity is assumed and mine isn't).
I admit that you can get into a vicious circle of looking for, and finding, signs, though.

Well you may well be right. They may have already decided to remove your post. More likely, they genuinely don't know yet.

But ultimately the only thing you can do is work hard, perform well, and hope that influences their decision.

I know it's easy to say, but you're going to have to adopt a 'what will be will be' attitude because otherwise you'll have a thoroughly miserable year. It will bleed into the quality of the work, you'll end up seeing signs that at least some of which won't be there, and you'll probably make a pain of yourself to your manager about it which won't help your cause anyway.

Really really try not to look for, or see signs, and accept that a decision will be made at some point, and you will be told at the appropriate moment.

Hmm. Am sure you're right. Need to get a grip. Thanks F.

I feel for you, it's an uncomfortable situation to be in, and I've been there.

However a year is a long time in any business, and as employees we will never fully know what organisational changes are afoot.

Keep doing your job well and try not to over-analyse!

See it as taking back control. Not feeling in control of your own destiny is a horrible feeling. You are in a situation where there is a possibility that you might be out of a job in a year. Fine.

You can't make that decision because that is outside your control, so you need to think about what you can control. You are not in control of their decisions but you are in control of your own actions and your reactions to their decisions.

So what decisions can you make about your future, what things can you do to either influence that decision, or reduce it's negative impact when it comes?

Then once you've identified those things, and start doing them, you are no longer hanging on every word/email and feeling completely at their mercy, you are in control of your own response, actions and reactions. It feels much better!

Thanks Kato, good to hear I'm not the only one. Unfortunately I have a Phd in over-analysis but I'm trying to keep it cool:-)
You're right Flowery. I'm doing that already. I'm just flopping around in self-pity at the moment, but must pull self out.
Thanks

Another thing you can do to take control over the situation is to spend the next 12 months doing is polishing your CV and looking around for other jobs. Would you be penalised if you left your contract early?

Maybe they don't even know themselves therefore feel unable to give you an answer. I would take this time over the next 12 months to look for something else as Snorbs has suggested.