The Cellar » Everything You Ever Wondered About Design Contracting

Slang · 1/18/2023 8:22 pm

Hello and welcome to my new thread

The sub line should be “I make it look easy but it’s certainly not.”

I am currently working on a project which gives my 30+ years of tips and tricks and funny office stories on how to survive and thrive working design contracts.

Most of you here at the cellar have some notable niche. Mine is contracting. I’m guessing no one or just a few people have any exposure to contractors and contracting. You most likely see it as something you want to avoid at all costs if you are familiar with the topic. We all have a contract employee horror story at some point. It’s very common.

I accept your bias and am only mildly offended. But not enough to go to HR, as if that would make any difference.

So here is my creative expression contribution based on informative, cautionary, humorous and sometimes disastrous stories from my life as a guy that designs mechanical parts or systems on location, all over the country.

Feel free to ask questions and comment as you wish.

Content will be added shortly

glatt · 1/19/2023 5:16 pm

I'm looking forward to this

Flint · 1/19/2023 5:35 pm

Remember that time when you said you design stuff, and stuff?

Slang · 1/20/2023 4:53 am

(NX is a complicated and expensive design software)

Sorry I’m late.

Traffic.

A big part of surviving highly stressful understaffed under experienced direct hire employees in a NX contract design program is connecting with them.

Building confidence and rapport with the staff from the second day is critical.

So, while most people try and impress everyone in the first few days with what company they came out of, what they do, what they, know, blah blah blah …I use a different tactic that is disarming and creates my mood.

Humor.

It’s delicate but effective.

One must be certain of their skills though.

Here are a few phrases that I have loaded up in the mag ready to drop at just the right place in a conversation.

Little bit more
I didn’t like it
Do you really want to live in a world…

There’s a lot more but let’s leave it at these 3 for now.

Me: hey, can you scootch over? I’ll help you.
Cowrkr: ( moves over )
Me: little bit more?
Cowrkr: ( moves over )
Me: little bit more?
Cowrkr: ( moves over )
Me: little bit more?
Cowrkr: ( moves over )
Me: little bit more?
Cowrkr: should I slide the chair out to the parking lot?
Me: Nah, I guess 8 feet is enough.

Cowrkr: …so then the guy gets fired on the spot ( a previous employee )
Me: yah I tried that years ago. I didn’t like it.

Cowrkr: …and so the user setting are way off on NX here.
Me: Do you really want to live in a world where someone that barely understands the software doesn’t select and install the settings?
Cowrkr: (nods affirmative ) you have a point there.

So you get accustomed right from the start of having a sense of humor. Then build on it.

You’re on a very stressful journey with no power. You’re going to need a LOT of humor. And thick skin.

Slang · 1/20/2023 6:52 am

Long one here. The post.

So after 30 years of doing this you’ve gotta imagine I’ve seen a whole lot of things crazy things and maybe just funny things.

The more stressful the environment the more you got to have when I call a “one minute joke.”

You want to be talking with somebody seeing their stress reading all their body language and throw a little one minute joke in normally not at their expense but yours to settle things down.

One of my favorite gags is what I call the fake phone calls.

Take your Land Line office phone make piece of tape with a tab on it for easy removal, and tape the hook switch down on the phone.

Now you can make phone calls and pretend that you’re talking on the phone without being connected.

Maybe slide the phone away so you can’t easily see it too.

Most of these people that I’m working with now how much younger and they just don’t have the experience of what it takes to get through obstacles.

They get discouraged. They want to do well at the job. But they are often a bit disappointed as to how much work going goes into the simplest tasks.

I am a source of a lot of instruction, helpful suggestions, hands on technical help and encouragement. For a wide range of people that want to stop by my Cube and maybe vent a little bit. Or cry. Or get into a fetal position on the floor.

This is completely acceptable for one minute but please be creative and funny if possible. There are also some self coping techniques I have that you may find helpful. More on that later.

After a certain amount of pep talks I’ll throw in a fake phone call. Maybe for 2 minutes.

Cowrkr: ( walks over and stands at my cube entranceway - obviously irritated )
Is it normal to have to rebuild and check everything you touch every time you work with it?

Me: ( slides chair over towards the phone - picks it up - dials fake numbers into the Kay pad )

No,but this environment isn’t normal. Let me see if my grief councilor buddy is available. He does anger management too.

His specialty is designers. He’s awesome. Contract - direct, doesn’t matter.

( phone cradled on neck/left shoulder)

( mouths the words ) it’s ringing.

Hey! Lol How’s it going? It’s slang. Good, good, good. S’Ben a long time man. Looooong time.

Good, thanks. Listen I got a designer here in need of a session. Both I’m thinking. Got any appointments open? Ok? Let me ask him, I don’t think so but let me ask. Hold on.

( right hand over handset mic )

( directed at cowrkr) Do you live with your mamma?

Cowrkr: (ever so slight smile appearing ) uh, no. I’m 28.

Me: ok, no judgement here, we all live with mamma when we’re babies. ( listens intently to earphone )

Ok, I’ll check.

( focus back to Cowrkr ) Military service?

Cowrkr: ( smile growing ) no.

Me: ah huh. Own any Firearms’s? Rifle-pistol-shotgun-zip gun?

Cowrkr: ( growing smile ) actually, yes. I have a pistol.

Me: good…good. Is it, is it…by any chance….pink? Or have frilly tassels?

Cowrkr: ( reluctant full smile ) no, it’s a Glock nine.

Me: fantastic. ( full attention back to the phone ) No, I don’t think he’s a pussy. He’s a likable guy and no, not a pussy.

OverCubeWallVet: ( completely breaks up laughing )

OldDesgnGal: hey, I have a pistol and it’s not pink.

Me: cigarette lighter pistols of yesteryear don’t count.

( everyone laughs )

Cowrkr: ( is laughing but turned to exit )

Me: ( points to phone ) He’s got Wed at 630 and Thu at 8 open next week. This one is on me. Either of those work for you?

Cowrkr: ( full laugh - leaves my cube )

Me: no? Your loss man, this guy’s awesome. ( hang up phone - ends fake call )

Slang · 1/21/2023 7:45 pm

Ok, ok, ok, ok.

Not my best work.

You guys are my only fans here. Without you, it’s back to sock puppets.

If sock puppets are my biggest fans, why take the time and energy to post here?

Stand by for better material ( maybe ).

fargon · 1/21/2023 8:46 pm

After reading it, I liked it. Tell us more about the children you work with.

Slang · 1/22/2023 7:33 am

Thanks for the support fagron.

Does my whining make me sound like a pussy?

Anyway, working on some less complicated stories and explanations to post now.

Slang · 1/22/2023 8:42 am

As people approach their breaking points comments slip out. Most of the time these comment force a speedy resolution or understanding that this is a 2 way street.

“I’m sure the contractor that replaces me will do a much better job. More than likely for less money.”

“I have a goal and track record of outstanding performance, if you don’t believe I’m delivering that we need to talk about my exit strategy.”

“Do you see this, it’s a rip cord. I pull this rip cord, and I blow out of here, and I materialize in essentially the same type of company in another state, but without having to deal with you.”

“For YOU changing jobs is a hardship. For me changing jobs is just another move in one year, the same as the 30 previous years.

I’m good at this. Are you?”

“Can I have a word with you in YOUR office? (Close the door behind you )”

Slang · 1/22/2023 8:53 am

* Look for opportunities to do MORE.

Most of the people that you will run into are looking for opportunities to do less. If you want to stand out, if it is important enough for you to do well, to be selected for a direct hire position or to get overtime look for opportunities to do more.

If you have the expertise, skill set and the experience to be able to spend five minutes to save somebody hours or days of hassle and stress why not do it? look for an easy low hanging fruit method of doing more for someone else.

Make it possible for a lesser skilled teammate to complete something. Look for win-win situations.

Slang · 1/22/2023 8:56 am

* Be smart AND dumb on demand.

After your official orientation a big part of the real orientation is finding out as much as you can about what’s going on now and what has gone on. Also what they want for the future, short term and long term.

You don’t want any sharp edges you don’t want to compete with anyone’s ego, you wanna be smart when you should to be, completely dumb when it’s embarrassing or threatening to the other direct hire employees.

This is an under recognized phenomenon, smart on demand and dumb on demand when it’s a benefit. Selective smartness I suppose.

You need the cooperation of every one of the team at some point. Don’t be that guy that is the expert on some specific area that someone has already working on for 3 years. You’ll get resistance. Resistance is a contractors kryptonite. You can’t be Superman by activating egos and resistance.

Slang · 1/22/2023 9:03 am

* Take the most impossible or difficult task they will allow you.

By far one of the most important concepts that I have learned through my years of experience with contracting is to take the most difficult, nastiest task possible. Take on the biggest challenge because no one else can or will. Make yourself a better value for the money you are paid.

If you are struggling with the biggest challenge in the department you will get some slack even if you’re not doing it well in the beginning. If you’re enthusiastically making progress on the single biggest challenge they will give you a lot of space. Space is the contractors friend.

MGR: Are you experienced in working BigProblems?
Me: Does it make other designers vomit and cry?
MGR: Yes, every one of them.
Me: I’m your guy.

Now if you are willing to tackle the BigProblem, you may very well get in over your head but don’t get too stressed about it, chances are also good you can break it into parts that might be able to be handed off to less skilled designers.

At the very least you can break it down into parts that YOU might tackle separately.

Maybe.

Slang · 1/22/2023 9:08 am

* How to survive the first week in a group of disposables.

A technique that I’ve seen in the past for very difficult contracts especially when time is running short in the target timeline of the company is that they will hire two or three or maybe even four people with the expectation that they’re only going to keep one.

If you’re in the CAD department and there are more than one contract designers starting in one day, keep it in the back of your mind that you may be competing for one position.

Be the survivor.

Let’s get into how.

Slang · 1/22/2023 9:12 am

* Prove yourself ASAP.

Through all the disorientation of the orientation and the layout and all the new everything, the names, the organization structure , all these things you cannot lose sight of your number one prime directive to be effective and efficient as soon as possible

Maybe they’re going to gently or not so gently pressure you but be sure that they’re watching you. They’re watching you they’re listening to you and until you can turn some thing over, until you can turn valuable work over you are still an unknown quantity.

If you were an unknown quantity then any little quirks or sharp edges that you have are more visible.

If you grab something difficult turn it around and then deliver it correctly which is not always possible but if you can then you become the guy or gal that can get it done.

The sooner that you can prove that you have the technical organizational and people skills to get something done the less that you will be hassled by management or other employees.

Someone that comes in and grabs the bull by the horns, gets the thing done quickly, they tend to give a lot of space and to overlook your imperfections, quirks and bad habits. If you have them. All the better for you if they don’t need to overlook anything serious and focus on your awesome disposition and performance.

One of the strongest moves that I make to prove myself with a new client, to let them relax and give me space, reducing my stress level is to learn the lowest hanging fruit of some thing irritating, wrong or that needs to be smoothed out within NX during the first week and then if possible come in on the weekend even if it takes 30 hours and present it on Monday as complete without overtime or any expectation of extra pay and lay it at their feet.

One for free, so to speak.

In doing so you prove that you are capable technically you are willing to do the extra work and going forward they will be much less skeptical or critical.

This maneuver will also very likely make you eligible for overtime since you gave them a result for free.

No promises but it makes an impression. Hopefully a positive one for you.

Slang · 1/22/2023 9:18 am

* My DAR, it’s function and value.

Another thing that I do that I have learned over the years that has been extremely helpful for a variety of reasons is what I call a daily activity report

What is the daily activity report or DAR?

The DAR is a document controlled by you mostly for you to keep you on track as to what you’re doing. the people that you’ve talked to the emails the technical questions or the technical situation in which you can ask questions.

This is particularly valuable for you when you start and you do not know all the jargon and acronyms.

It is a record of the relevant things that have happened to you in a given day

What time did you come in what are you working on what are the charge numbers did you send email did you receive relevant email what did you deliver to the engineer to FEA whatever

As is very common many companies do not even recognize what I’m doing or see the value in it until I use it

I do it covertly or I do not advertise it because someone is bound to say why are you doing that there’s not a waste of time

It is the most phenomenal time saver that I cannot tell them in words I have to demonstrate it

I’ll be going into this in much more detail.

Slang · 1/22/2023 9:22 am

These last few posts are from my notes on a YouTube channel still in developmentment regarding winning at contracting, knowing the rules before you start.

Still in development so questions and comments you have will be helpful to me here and on this YouTube project.

Slang · 1/22/2023 9:27 am

The DAR is one of many of the habits and products that enhance your technical ability to be great instead of just good enough.

* put a copy of the clock in the corner on your DAR
* Log the time you started, lunch and break times and when you leave.
* Put all relevant charge numbers here as well and markup your timeline with changes in charges.
* Add a copy of your colander with this showing what meetings you have.
* Add what you want to get done or the focus of that days work.
* Put the condition of the work as you started
* Make a point to make a screenshot whether it’s one view two views for views or six views and just pop it on your DAR strategically just to show the flow of your work. It’s quick and valuable to you and the company.
* Use more than one sheet if you have to. Add the appropriate suffix for series number 000 one 02 03 attached to that particular day so that you can find all sheets from that particular day.
* Before I leave for the day it’s a part of my routine I print out all the copies from that day. Now I can use this as a focal point as I’m walking around. Hey what are you doing? I need to talk to somebody about this and this particular thing on your copy shown the assembly navigation tool with all the numbers all the views the highlighted part the highlighted part where it is within the assembly what time you came in yesterday the problems that you had the people that you talk to boom, right there one document.
* Clip all the DAR‘s printed out into a binder clip and which days are sequential that you can find a particular day very quickly offline.
* When you gain traction in that position and start sorting through all the chaos and start gaining confidence those people around you, you will no longer need to make a print out every day and put it in your binder but even in the beginning especially in the beginning to create order in confidence out of chaos the guy that does this is going to win.
* Extra credit view to add to your six view Layout is an exploded view. You can highlight the Assembly navigation tool and that particular part that you select shows up in the top front right if you’re selected a detailed view for a lack of a better and an exploded view if there’s anything that I can possibly think of and transferring information that shuts off all questions and leaves the recipient in a position to win by doing this.

Slang · 1/22/2023 9:31 am

That guy has his excrement together. Never be nervous about who might ask you something while you are walking around, whatever hassle you may get from a chaos situation or someone that’s skeptical or does not like you take a copy of your DAR and then go a step further write the instructions or the reference information directly on the DAR you may be talking to several people now you have a written record from the previous day for instructions today.

In high chaos situation this will be extremely valuable for your ability to follow through. You may also take the notes on the printout from what Bob told you and talk to Mark to see if there’s any conflict or anything to add. With this tool you can be a design rockstar in the most incredible Chaos.

This is not some thing I’ve dreamed up overnight or over one contract for over one year or over five years or over 10. This is an incredibly powerful tool developed over many, many contracts for those motivated to excel and do better to actually gain traction and confidence very early in a contract.

Slang · 1/22/2023 9:36 am

* Making people look good.

Very successful habit that I’ve also gotten into is using my skills to make other people look good especially the engineer and the manager.

At the very least in the beginning a part of my job is to make whoever hired me look like an absolute genius for doing so.

* Assisting less talented people

If you can raise the confidence and skill level of those people around you it will be very good for you.

With a new client and new people you are looking for allies for future problems and what you need and want cooperation. If you can teach somebody something relevant that makes their life easier you’ll be on your way to doing this.

See the section on the DAR for more info.

Slang · 1/22/2023 9:43 am

* Workers clawing you down - making lazy or bad employees look bad.

It is quite common for new people to come in and be very energetic and put more effort and expertise into the work than most of the other people around them.

They have lives that require energy. I really don’t.

In one way or another they will most certainly try to put the brakes on you so that you don’t make them look bad.

One very common method that I use, especially in the orientation in the beginning is to come in early and stay late. That may cause you problems with your team members.

Not because you’re charging overtime, which I never do it’s included as part of my orientation, but instead it raises your level of performance, and in comparison, makes other people look bad.

I found a reasonably successful solution for this. Within the limits of the operational security in the protocols of the company take notes, very sanitize notes and take them back to your crash pad.

you also want to study something that will be useful in this new environment and their Niche way of doing things. For whatever reason you can’t seem to come in early or stay late without activating resistance from some or all of the team members.

See if there’s material that you can take outside of the company and take it home for a weekend. It could be something really simple that you see in that manual, a file structure, the naming conventions, anything that you can do outside and get up to speed more quickly without coming into the office.

Even this should be done with a certain amount of subtlety because now you’re making more effort to get up to speed, and in comparison to many of your teammates are not quite as energetics or motivated.

Many times the teammates are comparing themselves to you, which is totally natural and maybe they really don’t press them selves for results or are not as good as motivated as you are.

Discretion is certainly advised in this regard. As always in a contract, my goal is to make other people look good, improve the quality of their work, amuse them momentarily so that they are better after I leave and are not a stress multiplier while I’m there. A roadblock. A sniper.

Slang · 1/22/2023 9:46 am

* Handing work off when you leave.

What are the biggest factors in finishing up a project leaving the company and being able to come back is how your work is handed off to the successor

If possible I will ask them to come in on a Saturday for free and I will come in on Saturday for free and we will go through in detail I will test them on how to change and manage the project that I’ve done but they’re responsible for releasing

Would you like to impress people and come back to that company at a higher rate with less hassles?

Take the time for free and make sure that the handoff is fantastic even if you don’t want to come back you’ll be able to very easily.