Advice approaching new role

[Power26]

I’ve worked in government at a senior level for several years. Including huge levels of responsibility, line management, subject matter expertise.

My field has benefited from AI, and I recently started consulting for government where I was able to double my salary overnight as I have an AI-relevant background. However the role itself, is a sideways move to the level I was working at previously. Many of the things my new boss is trying to implement are things I have achieved before & have ample experience in, but the new team is a lot less developed than my previous departments so are starting from scratch.

The person I am reporting to, is going about things in a way that will piss off his colleagues (who are all directors/heads of service). I totally get the “why”, I just think there’s a more diplomatic way to approach it. He’s very much “like it or lump it” and his ask is linked to replacing staffing with AI, so it will certainly ruffle feathers. The culture is similar to my previous role so alarm bells are ringing here.

however as I’m just a consultant, temporary contract, I’d like advice on how to approach this. I think I’m still thinking as an employee, when in reality I’m not. I’m advising him of risks and advocating for a more measured approach but ultimately it’s his risk to take, how do I leverage this properly?

I haven't worked in government, but I have decades of experience at senior level. I have also switched between contract and permy, so I completely understand your dilemma.

I would approach it first and foremost by doing what you are asked to do. Good will and being a good corporate citizen will not pay your bills if your contract is terminated. I would probably be tempted to instigate a weekly report to your boss covering three topics:

1. What has been achieved this week.
2. What you are expecting to achieve next week.
3. Risks / Issues / items for escalation.

The first two will keep you focused on deliverables, and the final one is to log your concerns in a succinct, but auditable way. It will become your shield in the event anyone ever says "why didn't you say", and possibly your sword should you be asked to do something about it.

@HappiestSleeping thanks for sharing your expertise. Is it the done thing to send a weekly report as a consultant, or do you only do that in tetchy contracts?

My only concern is right now, I’m not in a deliverable stage as I only started a few weeks ago so don’t want to show myself up.

If you haven't been asked for one, it would probably unusual, but there are ways of volunteering. I might approach it by writing one, and showing it to your manager with the commentary along the lines of "I do these to track deliverables and make notes for myself, would you like me to send it to you too?"

If the answer is no, then a) you have a definitive answer to your question, and b) you could still write them and not share just to keep track yourself. The devil is always in the detail, and having an audit trail is useful. I can envisage a conversation in a few months time where someone more senior says something like "WTF is going on here", at which point you are then not relying on memory, but can say "hold on a moment, let me look through my weekly report to check the notes I've made over time".

Said senior could quite conceivably ask "why haven't I seen these before", to which your response is "I offered them, but nobody was interested" (or tone it down depending on how defensive you need to be).

Don't ask me how I know that this is an entirely possible scenario 😉

At that point you are far less likely to be challenged than someone who is relying on memory and searching emails as you look more organised.