Pushing back at work

Post Reply New Topic

'Push Back' is one of my dreaded phrases. It usually means some sort of conflict and always means a lot of communication. The reason I bring it up today is that a friend at work (probably ASD, but we have never discussed it) mentioned that most the time he just does what people ask rather than 'push back' on their request or even get a priority call from his boss. Because he never says no he is vastly overloaded and it impacts his ability to deliver anything.

Setting aside whether he is ASD or not does anyone here run into that? I know I get bullied into doing things a lot of the time but at least I attempt to make sure I am not overloaded.

I was, in fact, coming here to ask about how to deal with this.

I work for myself, but most of my work is for this one company, who not only underpays me to begin with, but they consistently lag 2-3 months behind on paying me. And now they're asking me to put in extra hours because a project is behind due to things not happening in time on their end. My natural response is always, sure, whatever. But I'm really tired of feeling taken advantage of because they know I'm incapable of finding regular work elsewhere.

I've drawn the line and said no whenever they ask me to work in the office, so I can't say they're completely bad. I just wish I knew how much "push back" was appropriate. I don't want to end up back where I'm struggling to find work again. But according to salary sites, the average salary for what I do is $45/hour more than they're paying me, and that's for actual employees. Contractors make more, because they have to pay both sides of the taxes.

You'd think that being self-employed would give you the flexibility to draw your lines, but that only works if you're able to get work easily.

I can share my own experience with this:

It is VITALLY IMPORTANT to say no when the answer is no. Not just for your own well-being, but for the benefit of everyone involved.

If a project manager asks if a given task can be completed in a given amount of time, what they need more than anything else is a realistic answer. If you give them the answer you think they want to hear, they may wind up planning a lot of other work around the expectation that that deadline will be met. If the date can't be met, it makes you look bad and it puts everyone else in a huge time crunch. For their sake and the sake of everyone else on the project, it is better to give a realistic response so everything else can be planned accordingly.

This "realistic answer" can be tough, especially if you're new at a particular task. Initially, it's often better to estimate the amount of time you think it'll take, multiply it by two, then add a hefty safety margin. Even if people kick, just say, "I'm trying to be realistic. Stuff happens, but this is a date I know I can hit." Then if you get it done early, you look like a hero and you have a better idea of how much to estimate the next time that kind of work comes along.

Rather than think of this as "push back" think of this as realistic planning. Always couch it in those terms and the people you're talking to won't get defensive. Chances are they'll appreciate it.

Also don't be afraid to say, "I'm over-booked." If they're so short-staffed that they can't find someone else to do the work, they need to know this so they can either hire more help or allow for more time on the project.

Zen, you've got a tough issue. But again, I'd give them a realistic answer. Point out that they're several months behind in paying you for completed work, and that you've got bills to pay the same as they do. This puts it in terms they can relate to their own lives.

And remember, you're not entirely without leverage. It's apparent you're a valuable contractor to them or they wouldn't be piling work on you. If they're this late in a time-critical project, they don't have time to hire someone new and get them up to speed. They don't have you over the barrel. It appears to be the other way around.

Line all of your points up before you have the conversation, and rehearse if you have to so that you have all of it to hand when you talk to them. Point out that they're behind on payment and ask if it would be in everyone's best interest if you switched to a positive cash flow payment system instead. (Fancy way of saying, "You pay in advance for all future work.) Point out that they're behind on a project through no fault of your own, and that you're happy to help get them out of the bind they're in provided they clear the slate, pay you any unpaid monies for past work, and either pay you within 30 days of work delivered, or discuss a positive cash flow system instead.

The problem is that once they get it into their heads that they can defer payment to you, they'll start planning their budgets around the idea. Let it go long enough and they will never catch up. This is as bad for them as it is for you. It becomes a nightmare for their accountant. There's nothing worse than trying to close out a year only to find there are dozens of unpaid accounts that are skewing the books. Even if the people you normally deal with get irritated, their accountant will thank you for it.

None of this really has to be confrontational. None of it needs a line drawn in the sand or anything even as dramatic as a raised voice or a stern look. Zen, I honestly think your entire conversation could be done with a smile and a lighthearted tone. You're being reasonable, after all. They need to be made to see this. Chances are they'll thank you for it in the end.

Thanks for the advice. That's actually very helpful, and just the perspective I was looking for.