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

[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!

[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.

[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?

[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.

[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.

[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

[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)

[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.

[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.

[BlasterBates]

No don't do anything. Just leave with a smile and a handshake.

A letter "rubbishing" their new policy will go down like a lead balloon, and might actually black mark you. What it won't do is absolve you from future blame. Let them make it work, they're already committed now, many hundreds of thousands of pounds will have already changed hands.

This would be like going to someone after they've spent thousands on a new car, and telling them what a bad decision they made, and pointing out all it's faults.

I don't see why anyone will blame anyone who's not there.

[Clippy]

Thanks Wanderer, that's an insightful and meaningful post. You're right in that I have become emotionally attached to the role and the company, reason being that I have been here a while and have built up a specific technical capability from scratch. I don't mind having to leave, but I hate to see the whole thing become entangled in inexperienced offshore hands. Frankly, yes I do care.
The point about triple rates is that it would be like coming in for point consultancy, i.e. one day here or there, to firefight specific issues. So it's got to be worth my while and it's got to be high enough to make the client think about the consequences. I'd rather tell them this option before I leave, as opposed to being seen to hold them to ransom afterwards.

As for the email to management, I certainly would not say that the strategy is flawed or that they are going about things in the wrong way. I would simply want to let managers know that I won't be around any longer to answer their questions or solve their problems etc. I've built up a very good reputation and I want to uphold that to the end. Professionally, it's important to inform them of the changes coming and the risk involved.

Isn't this indirectly saying that their strategy is flawed and they are going about things the wrong way - something you stated you don't want to do.

After all, their decision to offshore, in theory, should have factored in any risks - if it didn't, that's not your look out.

TBH, if things go pear shaped once you leave, your name will be mud regardless of how you left purely because that is the easiest way for all who are still there to cover their arses.

How about a simple email, just before you leave, thanking them for the time you've been there, wishing them luck in the future and confirming your contact details in case of future work.

[ChimpMaster]

Thanks Wanderer, that's an insightful and meaningful post. You're right in that I have become emotionally attached to the role and the company, reason being that I have been here a while and have built up a specific technical capability from scratch. I don't mind having to leave, but I hate to see the whole thing become entangled in inexperienced offshore hands. Frankly, yes I do care.
The point about triple rates is that it would be like coming in for point consultancy, i.e. one day here or there, to firefight specific issues. So it's got to be worth my while and it's got to be high enough to make the client think about the consequences. I'd rather tell them this option before I leave, as opposed to being seen to hold them to ransom afterwards.

As for the email to management, I certainly would not say that the strategy is flawed or that they are going about things in the wrong way. I would simply want to let managers know that I won't be around any longer to answer their questions or solve their problems etc. I've built up a very good reputation and I want to uphold that to the end. Professionally, it's important to inform them of the changes coming and the risk involved.

[Wanderer]

I've spoken to management about the risks involved,but they do not care, i.e. they are pretty much tunnel visioned on the offshoring aspect and hence not amenable to any discussion on the subject.

Then just leave it at that. They'll oursource it to a bunch of folks with little or no clue who will run the thing into the ground. By the time it all goes tulip shaped the guys from your company who did the off shoring will have taken their fat bonuses and moved on. After a about 3 or 4 years they will realise that it was a big old mistake and they'll bring it all back in house.

My next step is to put this in writing to several managers, to make sure that everyone knows that I have highlighted the risks involved. The point is that I do not want to be held accountable for anything that goes wrong once I've left, due to poor strategy and lack of understanding at management level.

I wouldn't do that. It's their company, if they want to screw it up then let them. Make it clear to them that you are doing everything you can to facilitate a smooth handover and you are always willing to come back and do business with them again should they need you. Don't go and tell them they are shooting themselves in the foot because you'll just piss them off.

1) Leave, don't give a damn and let them muddle through. Problem is that I could be blamed for issues, in my absence, and hence not have a chance of return business.
2) Before leaving, make sure that the risks are well known and offer to be available for consultancy afterwards, at a substantially increased rate (say 3x daily rate).
Has anyone here been in a similar situation?

You've been there too long and gotten emotionally attached to the job. Worrying about being blamed when you are gone and having fantasies about returning on triple rates are symptoms of this. I know because I left a permie job of 5 years and like you I cared a lot about the company and the projects. Our whole engineering and design department was disbanded and we handed it over to a bunch of nice but dim types and left the place to rot, they really didn't get it. It scared the tulip out of me and I felt bad for the folks we left behind to deal with these muppets. It broke me up for a while but it taught me that no one was irreplaceable and you have to not take it personally and move on.

[pmeswani]

This is a good point, considering that I would not want to be legally liable for any future mishaps which occur after I leave.

I should probably speak to my agency about this, as they may also stand to be liable.

The agency may be liable, but the agency would sue you for losses. But it is a good point that you should consult the agency as well. Good luck.

[ChimpMaster]

Write a letter to them (Probably the MD or someone in senior management) advising them of what you have been told, that your work is being off-shored and that you have not been asked to produce any handover to the offshore team advising them that you cannot accept any responsibilities if the offshore team are unable to use / maintain / support / <enter appropriate text here? the application / product / <enter appropriate text here>.

You may want to get a lawyer or solicitor to write the letter on your behalf and make sure it goes by Recorded Delivery, citing that you can prove that the letter has been sent. You may want to make sure that the letter that is posted is witnessed (not sure how) in case of doubt.

This is a good point, considering that I would not want to be legally liable for any future mishaps which occur after I leave.

I should probably speak to my agency about this, as they may also stand to be liable.