Wishing for a real consulting firm

Hey, what's going on in there?!

Change is afoot.  I started a six-month contract at Microsoft in August as a Sr. Program Manager in Xbox LIVE business PMO.  It has been a ton of fun.  But now that the holiday season is upon us and our group is re-organizing, I'm starting to feel a bit uneasy.

Influence and delivery happens at very deep layers.  I'd like to distinguish between two things: project success and product / company / group / team success.  I *wish* that I could be responsible for team success and I feel that in a way that I am: if I don't have it then I won't have more work.  As far as project success goes, I feel like I am have definitely created that; but there has to be next steps!  I'm trying *my hardest* to help that team succeed but in many ways it is out of my control because there are so many players and stakeholders and such a big internal culture that is hard to tackly / comprehend on my own; it's complex!  If, on the other hand, I had more people on *my* team (from an outside perspective looking in as sales people, consultants, and business development people), I feel like I could have a much better impact and ability to influence sales and long-term strategies.  Someone (and for now it is me!) has to be making these relationships, looking in, and kicking tires.

Getting cut out as the consultant/outsider.  What's happening now that I have delivered the v1 product, is that the group internally is "getting organized" and many plans are happening, some without me.  I'd love to be involved in these discussions but I am frequently cut out and the conversations, which can be kept to the internal folks while they figure out what to do and how to spend their resources.  In the meanwhile, I hang in limbo and try to figure out to the best of my ability what I can do to have an impact, make a difference, make a change, and support this team / group for the long term ie make more money from this opportunity.

Contemplating strategies.  What I need / want is for sustainable income and I see this group as a place to get that but I have to figure out how to better sell and influence; I feel like I need more resources (and probably do).  So I think about it and I wonder: I try to surround myself with other sales people and Sr. Project Manager consultant people who can help me figure out what does *my* strategy need to be to infiltrate this complicated group / company and sell business / win influence.

Wishing I had a team with whom I could strategize / deliver.

On the outside looking in, wondering.  I think that I've been very influential thus far in this project/program and now--based on a lot of my input and contribution--the company is trying to figure out how to use its resources and me, if I'm necessary or not.  It's really interesting to be on the outside looking in but it makes me nervous and makes me want a larger personal team that can help me sell and influence.  I think if I worked for a *real* consulting firm this would come for free...