Spiritual Armor, Making a Difference, Advanced Child Tax Credit (ACTC)

I was talking to my mother the other night, and she was discussing how even though the economy was fading in Michigan, many stayed and they eventually found jobs.  Which is true, they did.  But, when I left Michigan in 2000, I didn't want a job, I wanted a career, and I didn't want to settle.  I felt like that was all that I had been doing, settling.  I thought that I could do more.  I wanted to make a difference. 

In January 2003, Keith was decided that instead of just writing about the processes and procedures that our Test Environment Project Managers had to follow to assist projects in making it through the test environments and into production; I would actually run a project.  That way I could see what types of issues the project managers came across while trying to help projects make their deadline dates.  We had not been making most of our deadlines.  The projects were blaming the Testing for not having the Test Environments prepared and the Test Environments were blaming the projects for not being ready for testing.  By working as a Test Environment PM, I could see what was really happening and I could change our processes and procedures to match what they actually did, and, we could pass our Federal Audit (another small issue).  The first project I received was Advanced Child Tax Credit (ACTC).  It was a small project and its technology was dependent on what people know as the “Where is my Refund?” site on the IRS web.  I remember going to the Testing Kick off meeting, the application had passed the first phase of development and now it was ready for testing.  A project schedule had already been drafted and the first phase was getting the workstations in the test lab and making sure that they had all of the software needed for testing.  One of the other Testing Environment PMs, Bob, was asked to attend the meeting to help me, since this was my first project.  However, it didn't turn out like I had expected.  Every time I was asked a question, the other PM would stop me and tell me to say that I would get back to my manager and I would have a response later.  It didn't matter how simple the question was or even whether or not I knew the answer.  I was to give the same response.  So, although Keith had given me this assignment, Jacob, the lead Test Environment Project Manager had no plans of actually letting me manage a project.  Well, I did something in that meeting that Sara Palin later became famous for, I went rogue.  The next time I was asked a question during that meeting, I started to respond and the other Bob started whispering in my ear, to give the same response.  I looked at him and told him not to interrupt me while I was speaking.  (I don’t know where that came from.)  But after I did that, I knew exactly what I had done.  Because, after that, Bob got up and left the meeting and told me I was on my own.  And, for the rest of the project, I was on my own.  I had no help from my new peers.  And I only had a little help from the System Administrators who managed the test labs.  I had to prepare up some of the workstations for testing myself. They sat and waited for me to fail.  However, they did not understand that I wanted to manage the project and I sincerely wanted them make production on schedule, so people could receive their checks in July, as the government promised.  Also, I wanted to I update the processes and procedures that the PMs had to follow to guide the projects through the test environment; I needed to truly understand their job.  They didn't get that.  For the lead PM and my new peers, it was all about ego.  The words “Who does she think she is?” was said about me a lot.  And, I knew it.  But I believed that I was fighting the good fight, so every morning, I prepared myself for battle by praying and I put on my Spiritual Armor.  Well, my project went smoothly and to production on time.  People started receiving their checks when promised.  When we had our Lessons Learned meeting at the end of the project, the client actually got up and hugged me and thanked me for all of my help.  I had not received that kind of reception since I had worked in the corporate environment.  CGTN had their internal meeting because the project was a success.  The Deputy Director, Bob gave the Jacob a certificate and shook his had for getting the project done on time.  And, as he shook his had, they looked directly at me.  And as they looked at me, I thought about what my grandmother said, “They can take everything away from you, but they can’t take what you have learned and what you know.  That will always be yours.”  So, I looked back at them in that moment and I smiled.

#LessonsLearned

#MakingaDifference

#SpiritualArmor

How I became a Federal Contractor...

I thought about stepping back even further in time, to discuss how I became a government contractor...

Well, it all started in November 1, 2000.  I was working as a Disaster Recovery consultant at Allstate in Illinois, and I told my company that I needed to be in Michigan, so I could vote in the presidential election.  So, I stayed in Michigan that week, when I got home from voting.  I got a call from a recruiter in DC.  “Good Afternoon my sister, I hope that you are doing well.”   Most African Americans know that this was my cue to hang up, but I didn't.  The recruiter went on to tell me that they were looking for contractors who had worked on commercial projects to come to DC and work on a large government project.  He stated that the government was beginning to realize that contractors and consultants who worked in commercial projects had a larger range of skills than those who had always worked in the government.   And they needed people like me to come to DC and work on this project and share your skills with your country.   Why don’t we fly you out here and you can interview on this project.   At most, you will get a great job and help your country, if it doesn't work out, you will at least get to see our nation’s capital. Can you fly out tomorrow?   The recruiter told me that he would pick me up at the airport and drive me to my hotel.   (Yes, I fell for it.)  So, I booked my flight and selected a hotel, with the impression that they would reimburse me, when I got there.   Well, he did pick me up, granted I waited at the airport for 2 hours.  When he finally came, it was getting dark.  So, as we were driving, he told me that he didn't want to be rude, but I had a lot of skills and experience on my resume, so he and his manager were trying to guess my age.  So, he said, “How old are you?”   My response was “Old enough to know that you don’t ask a lady her age!”  He drove me to my hotel, but he had a nervous look on his face.  So, I asked him, if I had picked a bad place to stay? After all, I didn't know DC and I could change my reservations.  He told me that it was fine for the night.  I asked him if he was sure, he said yes, and offered to carry my bags.

Well, I checked in and then we went to my room.  I went to open my door, and he asked me to wait and let him do it.  He put the bags down, opened the door really fast and jumped in the room.  Once again, I asked if I needed to change my reservations, and he told me no, but he said that I should be careful entering into a hotel room at night, and his goal was to startle someone if they were in there waiting for me.  Well, I know that I was startled.  He also told me that before he became a recruiter that he used to be a New York City policeman.  After, all the excitement, he left and told me that he would pick me up tomorrow at 9:00 am for my interview.  I was tired, so I decided get something to eat, unpack my bags and go to

bed.  Well the hotel had a restaurant, so I ate something and then I went back to my room to unpack.  I opened the dresser drawer and the biggest roach jumped out.  Now I couldn't sleep, and I decided I had to change hotels.  So, I went to the yellow pages, to look for phone numbers of local hotels in the area.   Well, the hotel and motel section of the yellow pages were torn out of the book with a razor.   I called the front desk, and I told them about the roach.   The hotel's response was “Really, we just had the exterminator spray that room.   Well, we will be glad to move you.”  So, I moved, but I didn't want to be there.  I felt like I had entered the beginning of one of those horror stories.   I didn't sleep much, but I managed to go to sleep.

The next day, I got up and got ready for my interview.  My recruiter told me to meet him outside.  So, I stood outside in the parking lot in my navy blue suit.   While I was standing there, a guy pulled up and asked me if I needed a ride.  My response was, “No thank you, I am waiting for someone.”   He asked me if I was sure, I said yes.  I was thinking, "Why did I ever pick this hotel?  Did he think that I was a prostitute?"  The recruiter showed up and drove me to the interview.  The interview seemed to be going well, the manager was very nice and it seemed like it would be fun to work with him.   At the end of the interview, the manager told me that he liked me and that I had the job.  But, he said, "Don’t tell the recruiter, I like to make to make him sweat.  It brings me joy.   So let’s have a serious look when we leave and when he asks you how it went, tell him, you don’t know."  I said OK.  The interviewing manager waited 3 hours to tell him that they had hired me.  LOL.

#federalcontractor
#interview

This is a Government Contract…We do not lock people in Rooms!!

The title of this blog was the Director’s (Lester) response to the Deputy Director (Bob), after he found out why I was looking for another job within the project.  I had decided during my Easter vacation, that it was time for me to look for another job.  I had tried to keep the fact that I was looking for another position quiet, because I didn't want anyone to find out.  However, when I delivered my resume to the hiring manager upstairs, he went directly to Bob, and said, “I didn't know that Cara was available.  We will take her!! “   Bob, who by the way was happy to see me leave, wished me luck.   However,  he made the mistake of telling the Lester that I wanted to leave.  Lester was not happy and he wanted a reason.   I told him that there were many reasons.  And finally, there was the straw that broke the camel’s back.  He asked me to provide a list.  So, I provided him a list that consisted of the top ten reasons why I was leaving, and number one was the final straw.  This story is about that straw…

It was the Wednesday before Easter.  I was in a good mood because I was only working half a day, and I was then driving home to Detroit.   I got to my desk and started to log into my computer.  However, when I went to log in, I noticed that someone had been sitting at my desk, and someone had logged into my computer.  The person had not used my log in ID, but a Rational Tool’s administrator’s ID.   In commercial offices, an admin logging into your computer isn't a big deal, and it probably wasn't today. However, it is different on a government contract, if someone logs in to your computer, you should know why, even if it is for a standard upgrade.  It is just a matter of security.  So, I went to the Deputy Rational Tool’s lead, Dave and asked why someone had logged onto my computer this morning.  Was there an upgrade that I didn't know about, is there something wrong?  He told me that I needed to talk to another manager, and stated that they would explain what was going on.  So, I went to the next manager and he told me that a previous tools admin had made some errors on various desktops when she performed an upgrade, and that Dave logged into your computer to see if she had made a mistake on yours.  She hadn't performed your upgrade, so everything was fine.  So later that day when I passed Dave in the hallway, I asked him.  “Hey, why didn't you just say that it was you and what you were doing?”  His response was “Young lady, you don’t ask me about what I do or don’t do.”  My response was “I am not your wife or your child, and you don’t address me in such a manner.”  Well, apparently this upset him and he reported me to the Bob.  Later that day Bob asked to speak to me privately.  I said OK, and he said, let’s meet in the Software library.  I told him, that I don’t have access to library.   This wasn't strange because the library contained expensive software, computer and media equipment.  There were only few people whose badges could enter and exit the library.  Yes, if you did not have a badge that granted access, once inside you were locked in the room.  Well, he let me in and then he said that he would be right back.  He did not return for over a half an hour.  And no one came in, so I sat there, waiting and wondering why I was there.  When he did return, he brought Dave with him.  For the next 20 minutes, Bob went through this lecture to me about how everyone on this project is treated fairly and with respect.  There is no such thing as sexism on this project, so I should just take this idea out of my head.   He also stated that he left me in the room, because I needed to calm down and think about what I had done that day and how I had talked to Dave.  I looked at Dave, Dave didn't say anything; he just sat there looking stupid.  After, we left the room, Dave apologized for his behavior earlier that morning and he apologized for reporting me to Bob.   He told me that he didn't know that would happen.  However, it didn't matter to me.  I was livid!!  I had been locked in a room like a child.  

At the end of the day, it was time to drive home to Detroit.  I was very lucky that afternoon, because I didn't get a ticket driving home.   The average time it takes to get from Laurel, Maryland to Detroit, Michigan is about 8 hours.  I made it home in a little less than 6 hours. 

I didn't leave the job, although I probably should have.  An Emergency Exit door was installed at the server room entrance to the Software library.

#finalstraw
#livid
#sexism