Client not renewing - how to advise of risks and managing the fallout

[thunderlizard]

It's easy to overestimate your own importance in such situations, and think that you are the thin red line between success and chaos. Usually the end result is something much more humdrum.

You probably will get blamed for the odd thing, regardless of whether it's your fault or not; but that only works for so long. If your successors do immediately lose supportability and haven't recovered it within a couple of months, they can't blame you for ever. The client will eventually think "well, when ChimpMaster was here there were no problems. Now he's gone and there are lots of problems".

My tips would be: don't take on any new stuff from now on. Continue to be seen to be proactive in handing things over, even if they aren't meeting you half way. By all means leave yourself open to future work, but you won't get any by becoming The Boy Who Cried Wolf.

[Jeebo72]

You will get blamed, that's the nature of the game. You also think too highly of your own importance. Seen this all a hundred times. Life will go on without you. Get over it. Move on. Be a contractor.

[xchaotic]

I'd be more worried if you we're a permie moiving to another dept in the same company.
Unless your role is/were project/programme manager, it is not you responsibility to ensure that this will go smooths after you've left, I don't think anyone would blame you if you worked towards the opposite - make yourself indispensible?
Perhaps that's what happened - they realised they rely on you too much and want a solution where a vendor can be switched more easily? (even of they're both carp)

[JoJoGabor]

Pope who have left always get the blame. I was affectionately known as Mr 90% at a long term client when I ws there, as my pragmatic approach always resulted me in saying well it does 90% of the job, that will do ( in true British style)

When I see the guys now after 4 years they tell me I am now called Mr 10% in the team, but I know they would still hire me, that is if I still lived in Australia where they are based

[MarillionFan]

You will get blamed, that's the nature of the game. You also think too highly of your own importance. Seen this all a hundred times. Life will go on without you. Get over it. Move on. Be a contractor.

WHS

I used to worry about this when I first started, but why worry, it's not your problem.

The truth is, it's dead mans shoes. When you leave, if the receptionists PC falls over on the next floor it's probably because of something you did. In fact, I expect it these days and to be honest when someone I'm working with/or alongside in another team leaves and I screw something up that we were working on, I blame the person who left.

At Xmas I was doing a number of contracts at different clients. Once clientco really annoyed me with the unprofessional attitude that I gave notice and left after 6/7 weeks of a 6 monther. On my last day I didn't see a single person. I came in, did my work, documented everything and emailed everyone to let them know. I had briefed the other contractor on the team the day before.I did that off my own back, they never asked for anything, then I left and heard nothing.

3 weeks later the other contractor(a lazy git) phoned me up and asked where something was. It was in the email and in the handover I gave him and I told him so. The next day, the PM phoned up asking where something was and that the production version wasn't working. (In the notes I had highlighted a dependency & documented where everything was).

I told them they're on their own and not to phone me again.

[ChimpMaster]

<snip>I told them they're on their own and not to phone me again.

Burning bridges, no matter how frustrated you are with the client, is not something I would want to do. Admittedly it's hard for me to restrain myself too, given my situation, but one needs to think about future work, no matter what the past. Client management can change and you don't want doors to be closing on you.

I'm not saying I would help them for free - perhaps arrange some kind of consultancy deal as mentioned in my first post on this thread. The fact that the client is calling you is a good sign, i.e. they need you and they were mistaken in letting you go.

[strawberrysmoothie]

After readling a lot of the replies, I totally agree, I would leave the client to it. It's their potential timebomb; leave it to explode in the faces.

You're a contractor, getting emotionally involved in a project is a luxury you can't afford. They have asked you to leave, so just do that- leave with your head held high knowing that you've done the best job you could do. As contractors we are an expendible commodity nothing more nothing less.

If things go t*ts up that is not your fault or your problem. Just leave good handover notes explaining how to do the role, pack up your stuff and get the hell out of dodge. Additionally, based on how got they got rid of you- would you really want to go back?

[BlasterBates]

Just buy a few beers, leave and forget about it. The chances are you'll never work there again. In a couple of years there will be a completely different project leader, who won't even know you existed. Within a few months working somewhere else you won't want to go back because it will seem like a backwards step.

Find a new contract and move on.

[stek]

Just buy a few beers, leave and forget about it. The chances are you'll never work there again. In a couple of years there will be a completely different project leader, who won't even know you existed. Within a few months working somewhere else you won't want to go back because it will seem like a backwards step.

Find a new contract and move on.

True, I remember working for a large IT outsourcer - I was transferred into them from main clientco, something like Crap Solution Company, disrespected me totally when I left for 'using the client email system to solicit leads' and I'd never work for them again.

The reality was these email contacts were by then my friends (after 5 yrs there) and they basically emailed me when they found out I was leaving to ask why and if they could find anything at their end they would to keep me etc...

1. Someone went through my mails after I left, ok I know it's their mail but bit naughty.

2. As soon as I left I got loads of calls (was a good time for contracting!) a lot from various offices of Crap Solution Company so these threats are worth little. Still turned them down - that'll learn them! Deserves them right!