Re: Help! I'm seeking advice.

[David Neeley <dbneeley -at- oddpost -dot- com>]

Sounds like someone is either wildly incompetent or there is some sort of political move afoot to torpedo the project. 
  
What are the alternatives you have for either dropping it like a proverbial hot rock or going over the head of the unrealistic project lead who is trying to saddle you with a totally unrealistic plan? 
  
If you continue, can you collar the manager involved for several days of uninterrupted time? 
  
It seems to me that you're being set up to fail, either deliberately or through incompetence--but in either case, the result where you are concerned would be the same. 
  
I would suggest that you get your instructions *in writing* signed by the person doing the assigning. Or, as a minimum, repeat them in an email to him detailing the instructions you have received. This is a "CYA" measure that would be invaluable later, when the "powers that be" seek to assign blame. 
  
David 
  
-----Original Message from Diane Boos <dboos -at- drizzle -dot- com>----- 
  
Ed Wurster asked: 
What does your contract say about the services you are to provide? 

My contract simply says "Company wishes to engage Contractor to provide 
technical writing services for the Company." What they are expecting is 
actually business analyst work. The information that I need to write the 
business plan and the technology plan is not available in the documents I 
was given. I do not have access to they key players to get the information, 
except for the limited access to the Manager. 

Diane