Reply to: Leaving contract early

[Mincepie]

We have all done gigs in places where its a madhouse. I raise things, suggest changes and propose rollout/process change to fix. However when they are clearly not interested i keep my gob shut smile and keep on invoicing.

Often through the clients own stupidity and halfwit permies i end up staying longer so i am no that bothered either way!

[MrMarkyMark]

As for your final point, don't flatter yourself. No matter how much of a smooth-talker you are or how much influence you can assert, you can't make someone do something and many clients simply won't budge from the above position, and life is far too short to waste your time on idiots that clearly don't really want to be helped.

That's why I said most, rather than all.
If they don't listen quickly, then you would probably be right, there is nothing left to try and salvage.
You can lead a horse to water and all that.

As I said earlier, though, some of the most profitable ones for me, have been the biggest nightmares, in the first instance.
Maybe, I just like the pain

[billybiro]

Surely the bigger man, mans up and fixes the situation.
However, I will say that this should only be followed if you, truly have the ability to nail the problem, once and for all.

Done it a number of times, listened to, "fixed" the issues, gained respect, given a 10% bump on day rate, turned a 3 month contract to 3.5 years, for me.
Repeat business assured.

Very profitable, I can assure you.

Interesting thing is, half of that part of the business did it my way, with associated builds and processes and the other half didn't.
You should see the sate of the other half, we were getting around 12 incidents a year, the other side ran into 50 -100 each month.

Final point is, if you have true expertise, knowledge and influence, in most cases you can turn it around, not all, but most.

Don't get me wrong, walking isn't the first option. Of course, you raise the issue, but the problem is that lots and lots of companies simply won't listen, or won't do anything about it. Far too much politics involved and no-one, especially the permies, wants to stick their neck out to "help" a contractor, and they certainly don't want to ruffle the feathers of fellow permies (especially if they rank higher than them) in order to "get things sorted". Don't forget, for most of the permie's, they don't care about delivery - they just care about turning up, keeping a seat warm for X hours, and ensuring their own survival via various CYA tactics. Delivery be damned.

Basically, raise the issue, but if the client isn't pulling out all the stops to help sort it out immediately, you can bet your bottom dollar it won't get sorted (satisfactorily) at all. So then you walk.

As for your final point, don't flatter yourself. No matter how much of a smooth-talker you are or how much influence you can assert, you can't make someone do something and many clients simply won't budge from the above position, and life is far too short to waste your time on idiots that clearly don't really want to be helped.

[MrMarkyMark]

WTF?

The "manning up" thing to do here is to walk. Walk immediately. When the client hits you with a breach-of-contract lawsuit, you file a breach-of-contract counter-suit for the procedures etc. that haven't been followed (you do have them contractualised, don't you?)

Yes, we all know that you're burning bridges and all that, but look at it like this. You're burning bridges with an insane client that you don't ever want a bridge with in the first place, so nothing lost.

Or, you could do what LondonManc suggests, which is the exact opposite of "manning up" and is more akin to bending over and lubing up your own backside like some bedwetting doormat in indentured servitude.

Surely the bigger man, mans up and fixes the situation.
However, I will say that this should only be followed if you, truly have the ability to nail the problem, once and for all.

Done it a number of times, listened to, "fixed" the issues, gained respect, given a 10% bump on day rate, turned a 3 month contract to 3.5 years, for me.
Repeat business assured.

Very profitable, I can assure you.

Interesting thing is, half of that part of the business did it my way, with associated builds and processes and the other half didn't.
You should see the sate of the other half, we were getting around 12 incidents a year, the other side ran into 50 -100 each month.

Final point is, if you have true expertise, knowledge and influence, in most cases you can turn it around, not all, but most.

[BrilloPad]

How does Winstons compare to Sandys Superstars? I don't see it on Punternet.

Punternet is well out of date.

Try adult work.

[seanraaron]

Nonsense. If there was an agreed process in work and someone didn't follow it, you'd walk? That's not manning up, that's dummy spitting and cutting off your nose to spite your face.

If you're working on a project and process isn't being followed, which is jeopardising delivery, do you walk off site or do you raise it? You must have manned up and walked off site a few times.

Yeah I can't see walking over that. Raise the issue with anyone who will listen; if no one will listen do what you can do and don't renew at the end. It's only work, try not to take it so seriously.

[LondonManc]

WTF?

The "manning up" thing to do here is to walk. Walk immediately. When the client hits you with a breach-of-contract lawsuit, you file a breach-of-contract counter-suit for the procedures etc. that haven't been followed (you do have them contractualised, don't you?)

Yes, we all know that you're burning bridges and all that, but look at it like this. You're burning bridges with an insane client that you don't ever want a bridge with in the first place, so nothing lost.

Or, you could do what LondonManc suggests, which is the exact opposite of "manning up" and is more akin to bending over and lubing up your own backside like some bedwetting doormat in indentured servitude.

Nonsense. If there was an agreed process in work and someone didn't follow it, you'd walk? That's not manning up, that's dummy spitting and cutting off your nose to spite your face.

If you're working on a project and process isn't being followed, which is jeopardising delivery, do you walk off site or do you raise it? You must have manned up and walked off site a few times.

[AtW]

The "manning up" thing to do here is to walk. Walk immediately. When the client hits you with a breach-of-contract lawsuit, you file a breach-of-contract counter-suit for the procedures etc. that haven't been followed (you do have them contractualised, don't you?)

You must be new here and don't know Wilmslow as well as we do ....

[billybiro]

Man up and raise any deviations from the agreed path.

If you have a risk register/issue log/RAID log, use them.

WTF?

The "manning up" thing to do here is to walk. Walk immediately. When the client hits you with a breach-of-contract lawsuit, you file a breach-of-contract counter-suit for the procedures etc. that haven't been followed (you do have them contractualised, don't you?)

Yes, we all know that you're burning bridges and all that, but look at it like this. You're burning bridges with an insane client that you don't ever want a bridge with in the first place, so nothing lost.

Or, you could do what LondonManc suggests, which is the exact opposite of "manning up" and is more akin to bending over and lubing up your own backside like some bedwetting doormat in indentured servitude.

[Wilmslow]

Winstons massage parlour in Manchester

How does Winstons compare to Sandys Superstars? I don't see it on Punternet.

[FatLazyContractor]

Maybe I just need a day off and a reboot. Or a pot noodle.

Winstons massage parlour in Manchester

[FatLazyContractor]

The actual question is AYCOTBAC?

[DimPrawn]

Wilmslooooooooooooooooooow!

[northernladuk]

I would suggest that.. Oh it's Wilmslow.. Forget that.

[LondonManc]

Has anyone actually done it? Often talked about here. I am giving it consideration. My notice period is 28 days, their notice is 7 days – which complicates matters somewhat.

Politics are too rampant, I am working with some disturbed people, eg this mornings rant from a colleague about the whiteboard. I am needing to worry more about my sanity than the day rate. Scott Adams would have a field day here.

I have a quality process that was agreed, but the said process has been ignored, resulting in non-achievance of what were already challenging dates, and a rack of problems that should have been managed early getting ignored and problems compounded. I have an excellent relationship with the business and user community, but having serious challenges with a poisonous programme manager who just wants me to accept all his problems without listening.

Need to decide if I can be bothered to deal with matters or to just walk. Which will be a slow walk at 28 days.....

Maybe I just need a day off and a reboot. Or a pot noodle.

Man up and raise any deviations from the agreed path.

If you have a risk register/issue log/RAID log, use them.