I’ve been having a few conversations with different organisations in the last few weeks and the word contracting has come up a few times.
What do people mean by it? In some cases, it’s the design of the framework around the work, for others it’s the expectations of the work, for others the delivery timetable.
Once again, the language we use matters. A lot of the work we do is about translating and framing activity into common language and terms which are transparent, consistent, valid and (perhaps most important) agreed.
What does contracting mean to you? Let me know in the comments.
Lost and Desperate 
For me it depends on the context. In coaching, I’d expect there to be ‘contracts’ with the person paying for it as well as the person receiving it and potentially their line manager. It’s not all formal paperwork and terms, it is also explaining what it is and isn’t.
For work, again there is the formal contract and then there is the expectations around the brief (which evolves so re-visiting the contract might be necessary and wise) and the way it will be delivered. It’s a little like the formal contract of employment and the psychological contract. Now I’m wiser and more experienced, I often volunteer lots of information upfront to help the formal contract run smoothly. Less likely to encounter problems that way.
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If you were talking about contracting, did the dreaded phrase “IR35” get a mention ?
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Paul, I talk about IR35 a lot of times each week. Navigating the landscape with it in and especially with client’s differing views and understanding of it, means it’s all part of it.
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