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Subject:Re: Long-distance contracts From:John Posada <JOHN -dot- POSADA -at- EY -dot- COM> Date:Wed, 18 Jun 1997 14:39:32 -0400
I think some people misunderstood my response to Fabien regarding long-distance
contracts. I was passing on my take at the situation that is shared by me and
must be shared by others, or he wouldn't have initiated the thread. Whether
the problem was real or in the mind of his target audience, it didn't make it
any less real.
If you go back to his message, the main topic of the message wasn't declaring
that he could or couldn't do the work long-distance. It was that he couldn't
understand why he was having such a hard time convincing other clients to use
him.
Apparently, my feeling was shard by those that matter most to him...the clients
that he wants to do work for but won't give him a chance because of his
locale. The rest of us are simply the choir.
There are always exceptions to the rule, and those that have said that they do
it successfuly and their supervision agree with them" are the exceptions, where
through the right combination of circumstances, the situation works well.
However, if it works well universally, why is he having the
difficulty...wait...I know...it's because he's not certified (its a JOKE,
dammit!!)
Maybe instead of us trying to convince each other how we can and do it, maybe
we should be giving him hints, procedures, and processes that would work at
eliminating his problem.
John Posada
Tactical Applications Group
Ernst & Young
john -dot- posada -at- ey -dot- com
I agree with Fabian and Alexia (and any others I might have missed,
since I get the digest). I visit my client occasionally, but all
production is done from my home. I am in a different country from my
client.
John (Posada)'s comment that "what I (or you) don't have from off-site
is the ability to grab 2 or 3 associates ... and take care of a problem
... immediately" works both ways. On the plus side, when some of us are
working offsite, more tends to get done over the long term. I'm not ever
called away from the work at hand -- I'm the workhorse in the back room.
My client is grateful that I'm not available for immediate "problems." I
fill a valuable role in the overall teamwork.
John also says, "There is a difference between working at home a couple
of days a week ... and being in one country and working for a company in
another country." Viva la difference! In our experience, it allows
managers to manage and producers to produce.
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