Looking purely from a general R standpoint, it seems to me he's making you crazy because you have no recourse. You need him to do this work but there's no 'or else' to enforce. I'd say if he doesn't do the work as directed, don't pay him.
You are on point - at this point, I feel like I have no recourse.
I have pulled work from attorneys in the past and not paid them. I usually copy my boss when I take this type of action. In this case, PC has put me in the spotlight too many times at humongo client. I want to contain PC at my level. He is being phased on out humongo client. No one wants to deal with him or hear his name. This is residual work that needs to be wrapped up.
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However, I have a feeling that the aftermath would be worse than what you are dealing with now. So it's pretty clear how this guy survives - he gets paid to go away.
How soon can you cut him loose? Is it worth having him finish this work? Would the amount of time you spend dealing with him equal the time it would take to do that work?
Exactly. That is why my plan was and is again to respond to email and voice mails only to the extent necessary to be professional. I want a clean paper trail if PC decides to escalate further.
I will redo the work myself and send it to him with instructions to file. It will take roughly 3-4 hours of my time (and I cannot bill for it b/c well PC is getting paid to do the work - so this is really annoying). My boss would authorize it - but we are under a lot of pressure with other issues - I need to contain PC myself. It is not worth my time/effort/energy to talk to an attorney that is incapable of following simple instructions. If PC feels uncomfortable signing his name to the work - I will file it myself and create a trail indicating that PC refused to file.
I will not be engaged in any fruitless arguments. It is my call. I rarely invoke my authority to force someone to bend to my will. But I see no other way with him.
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To be honest, I'd probably pay him up to now, cut him loose and then instruct him that further contact would constitute harassment.
The man is an out of control emotional train wreck and loose cannon. Simple instructions triggered 4 very long emails and 4 long voice messages (no wait - email No. 5 just arrived! ). He would unleash who knows how many emails all over humongo client. That is why in my emails - I am calm, to the point, and very professional.
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It also sounds like he's causing you to spend so much time dealing with him that he's part of the reason you are getting no down time.
You are right. I called to cancel my late night walk with GF last night. She refused and came and dragged me out. She says she will be showing up on my doorstep every single night b/c we both need the destressor.
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You are handling this well. I do not have the patience you do.
If I hadn't become entangled with PC by virtue of his "friendship" with Emailing Man - I would have pulled all work from PC a year ago. I actually sent him this work b/c Emailing Man called me and asked me if there was anything I could do for PC b/c he had just lost his job at his law firm and was being informed that he would not receive any more substantive work from humongo client. If course Emailing Man regrets calling in a favor, I regret going out on a limb for him. This is a mess that really just needs to be contained and then eliminated as expeditiously as possible.
However, there will be a part II to this saga... PC manages a very small portfolio and sent me two things to complete (at my boss' request...). However, he rewrites everything (change font, font size, paragraph formatting, every other sentence I write, adds paragraphs and paragraphs of stuff - he is nuts). I have decided I will challenge nothing. He is the one responsible - even if it is wrong. I will keep a copy of what I send him in case this stuff is ever litigated - I will pull out my draft and say I filed what I did b/c the supervising attorney instructed me to do so.
GF and I will be walking every single night - except yoga night. We both need the destressor.
I went to the new yoga place and signed up for classes there on Monday. I will go back tomorrow and Saturday. I will do three classes a week as I crawl towards my vacation. I need to do this to retain my sanity.
I couldn't move when I got out of bed. All my muscles were stiff from stress - neck, shoulders, back. So I go on my treadmill and feel much bettter.
I couldn't afford a second phone line when I started my firm - so it is a second number of my home phone line with a different ringtone. When I return from Houston - I will set up a separate phone line that I will stop answereing at 5 pm turn off at 7 pm (5pm CA time - in case my boss calls - he has never abused the privilege and only calls if it is a true emergency) till 9 am in the morning. That way I will not even hear the work line ring during the time my office is closed.
So today's stressful events:
(i) A professor has disappeared. The drop dead deadline is May 15th. I leave for Houston on the 13th. I am going to have to call his boss to track him down otherwise we will miss this deadline;
(ii) Large firm did some really wrong stuff. I sent an email out to them to fix their mistakes making it clear I will NOT be paying them to correct their mistakes. They should not be a problem. We will see.
(iii) An individual client contacted me a couple of months ago. I thought he disappeared when I told him how much things would cost. He has reappeared - sent an email late last night. I need to refer him to someone else. Individual inventors are demanding and neither patents nor my services are cheap. I certainly wouldn't spend my hard earned money on a patent - I would go to Hawaii instead! Yes, that is what I actually told him to do! LOL! Besides the earliest I can start any new work is mid July.
And finally I need to do my "real" work. I want to finish a half finished patent and get it out the door today. I need 6-8 hours of uninterupted and completed focused time to finish this document.
Life is good. I am determined to achieve a life/work balance. Unfortunately there will be stress in the short term as I eliminate the major sources of work stress from my life.
PC is really an idiot. I need to not let him get to me.
(ii) Large law firm - exerted my authority and pulled work from them and did not pay earlier this year. They have learned their lesson - so far well behaved - have not challenged my instructions yet...
(iii) Professor is on vacation - no one knows when he will be back! Drop dead deadline for filing patent on complex technology is May 15th. Actually it is May 12th - b/c I leave for Houston on my laptopless cellphoneless getaway. I informed client that we will do the best we can - but if professor does not return soon - well that means we will file crappy stuff. I will not worry about it till Monday.
(iv) Start up client called today. Told them I had a meeting and cut the phone call short.
(v) Still working on patent that I want out the door today. May be a late night - but worth the fact that I will be able to cross this one off my list.
(vi) Did the treadmill when I woke up this morning. Did the lifecycle during lunch. Will go for walk outside with GF tonight. That is helping me stay focused and centered. In a few weeks that annoying jiggly stuff will be gone.
(vii) Project came up that PC worked on in the past. Normally that work goes to PC. Sent it to new law firm.
(viii) Assistant is slipping in a big way. There were unacceptable typos in her work and she is behind on things involving dates that cannot be missed. She has not provided me with an updated docket for my management stuff. She is a hard worker but is burned out. I have asked her to ask for help. I have told humongo client we need more staff. We will see. If I do the work myself my bills will double - will tell humongo client to either provide support or expect higher bills. I will use the extra money to hire my own assistant - will reduce my work load.
I will achieve a work/life balance. Having work dictate my life is ridiculous.
Yes, finally. Every client, most people I interact with in my job seem to be under the impression that they are the only one and that their work is the only work I am handling. Time to set some boundaries so I can reclaim my life!
Dinner last night was zuchinni, yellow squash, portabello mushrooms, sliced tomatoes, garlic sauted lightly in olive oil. All over a small amount of pasta - and topped with crumbled feta and a couple of kalamari olives. And of course a glass of healthy Cabernet!
). He would unleash who knows how many emails all over humongo client. That is why in my emails - I am calm, to the point, and very professional.
Yes, that is what I actually told him to do! LOL! Besides the earliest I can start any new work is mid July.