- Managing marginality when contracting for a company and working there for days on has been a new and challenging experience, what with the fact that my major activity has been not doing interpretation lately, besides some "community" version, but translating a slew of various engineering documents.
The major finding which I didn't read in any book (brand new here!) is that managing the marginality of being a solo contract professional may mean many and totally opposite things depending on individual characters and values. One of my freelance colleagues has totally melt down inside the pool. She is totally involved, steps locked with pleasure to the apparent routine of corporate life, only the environment is not routine at all except if you consider crisis management routine. I was surprised, but the proper expression should be from now on "enlightened", when I heard her briefly exchange mundane talks of being "tired". Although being tired is currently a major health issue for everybody around, employees or contractants, it came to my mind that marginality management starts with language (and subjects) management.
Don't sigh about being tired from Monday, not because you have to pretend you are superman (leave this to the self-help books on steroid), but because this attitude although extremely contained in the current environment, belongs to the world of standard employment. TGIF is for people who are relatively secured Monday will come with yet another week of work to justify the paycheck at the end of the month. If you are a contract professional and determined to stick to this social position, don't adopt the language that belongs to the other side. And remember that I am not selling a unique world view. By the end of the day and this article, do as you prefer.
Parallel to this is "Always say yes" to sudden requests for help from people rightly seeking your competences. No interpretation for me but frequent snippets of sight translation at the request of many engineers from many specialties. Positively answer right away to the cautious inquiry of whether one is disturbing you with a "you're always welcome!" It feels good on both side and help with the fatigue, physical and mental, which is a tangible reality not to ignore, if you can.
Usually, that's where the self-help books I have been perusing lately stop. A dash of differentiation is therefore required. I always say yes when sudden request for translations pour in, but I clearly inquire about priorities with clear cues. ASAP won't do and people requesting perfectly understand this and I wait until they expose a deadline.
There are major risks to my own set of attitudes that are not hard as steel and somewhat evolves to fit, but not in the manicheistic way which is standard to all other views that do not integrate the possibility of over views. The corporation is such a beast. One risk is being kept out of the loop of information that transpires through casual chats and lunching together. These situations are obviously important if not formal opportunities to gain general knowledge in the particulars of the situation at stake. It is the same as the backstage or around-the-coffee-machine talks one may loath to be part of, and loath to miss the gist of it, besides last night soccer results.
Another stuff I was reminded of by reading this post over In my Words interpreter's blog, especially the part that reads:
"(...) my clients think that I am just as interested and engaged in their topic/area/problem as they are. I'm sorry to disappoint you here, but I'm rarely as engaged in my clients' problem as they are. I usually find it interesting, sometimes fascinating as an interpreted situation, I may enjoy interpreting it and I will always be faithful. But I will not go home at night and continue to solve their problems."
This is all well said (hello there!) granted you don't rub elbows with your client for weeks on. Although interpretation is not my current turf here, people around doing interpretation and/or translation have all different agenda, short and long term experience and purposes with the hiring client that do not match and for some actually clash. Yet, every involved employee is naturally expecting the contract professional to be as interested and enthusiastic or emotionally involved as a rank employee. And as anybody usually carries a single world view, not showing 150% interest and rubbing elbows from 8 am till midnight is a show of not caring. The level of service you provide is therefore the unique way to somewhat counter or dilute the disillusion on the other side that indeed, you don't belong although you are helping as best as possible.
Which loops back to the reason why being a managed "yes" man or woman is key to me. And it is tough not to give in into the unique world view that is not yours. Therefore, combating routine which means being aware to avoid getting into employee mode is going toward ever more professionalism and competence. It is a very delicate balance. That's it for now.
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