Requirements management

[Freamon]

What steps are you taking to protect your arse if things go too bad?

I'd start making sure that when you send an email explaining a problem / pointing out a gaping hole, you BCC it to yourself. Or print it to PDF and keep that somewhere safe.

Also, if your phone / MP3 player has a voice recorder, start recording your meetings. When I was on a particularly contentious project, I recorded all the meetings I went to, and then used the recording to write up my meeting notes and emails later. My main reason was that I needed to ensure that I accurately recorded what was said later on, plus I needed to make sure that during the arguments meetings, I could focus on the discussion rather than taking notes.

You are George Costanza AICMFP.

[original PM]

I agree with all of that. Remember, it's not me crying change request - it's the consultancy. That said, the deliverables are clear and the change requests being asked for would indeed stand up in court I think.

ClientCo are a bunch of disorganised clueless muppets that couldn't manage a turd in a public loo. They are quite slimy and try and smear and wriggle at every twist and turn. Their PM is a lightweight PM but heavyweight politician so every meeting you're just trying to dodge the smear, cover your arse and not get spattered. This in itself is tiresome and getting boring.

I got into IT to deliver systems. Good hard work and a bit of cooperation are the tools of my trade. This fetid pit of sharky arse wipes is horrible. Each and every one of them all about their own selfish ends with not a flying fook of a care about the project.

Nasty business.

Heeey I think I work there too - or have worked there - or I imagine will work there in the future.

Once challaneged the MD of a largish umbrella about this sort of behaviour and questioned why it was he was perfectley happy with his senior management team trying to avoid doing any work that would not lead to a benefit to them personally (and not to the company as a whole) and why he was happy with people who were quite clearly spending all day trying to ensure someone else got the sh1t rather than actually working as a team to further the companies goals.

He just looked at me and said he did not really care cos they were making a profit - boy did I feel dim