Reply to: Should I stay or should I go now?

[NotAllThere]

Have you got a copy of Yourdon "Death March". If not, nip down to a decent bookshop, buy it, and read it over the weekend.

I was once in a similar stitch up situation as a permie. I planned my exit strategy and got 6 months salary in exchange for not suing their arses.

Not an option for contractors though. There's nothing to be gained by working in a toxic environment, and a lot to lose - your health and sanity for one. I did work on one contract that was going to be pretty difficult to meet the deadline. And then the client project manager started wanting daily progress reports... which meant that I, as team lead, lost 2-3 days a week preparing reports and attending meetings, despite the fact that I'd told them the only chance of success was if I also did development 4.5 days a week. Then two of the key business people went on their annual leave... I took advantage of a change in flight schedules to say I could no longer work on the project - gave my two weeks notice and quit. Then started legal proceedings to get my unpaid invoices paid.

In your shoes, I'd hand in my notice, but be prepared to be persuaded to come back, with conditions attached. If those are not met, then you walk, and you don't be persuaded to come back.

[scooterscot]

10/10

i once worked for a civil service organisation. There were days I thought I was going to walk into the office with a sawn off shotgun.

Work-shy arrogant £@%£$@@ always sweeping jobs under the carpet. As long as they looked good at the end of the day nothing was said. I was

I renewed once then had enough walked away even when offered a rate increase, no price could be put on my sanity.

What scares me looking back was the projects these guys were in charge of some had greater consequences on the public at large. Mistakes then could result in losses no amount of money could fix.

[Numpty]

Are you working for the civil service or something?

10/10

[scooterscot]

I have just had a screaming match at an IT Requirements Manager at ClientCo and stormed off in a huff. I am absolutely furious with this outfit and, right now, feel like taking advantage of my 5 days notice period.
Do I exercise the termination clause and start looking, or keep taking the tulip until they sack me?

Are you working for the civil service or something?

[Ardesco]

Get out of there, just make sure that there is an audit trail showing that you were trying to implement the correct thing but were blocked at every step of the way.

Write requirements that are concise and accurate and screw what they want you to write. Describe the whole solution in one sentence and make sure the documentation is distributed before you go.

They will look like even bigger arses if the next person who takes it up can see that you are bang on the money and they are just ignoring you.

[Turion]

Unpleasant as it sounds, it could be that ClientCo saw this coming and deliberately took you on with the intention of making you a scapegoat for the failure of the project. Make sure you've got an audit trail that covers your behind, and get out of there.

Yes, as a contractor PM you are there just as an arse to kick. Everyone knows the project is a dog and you're the fall guy. If it were a decent project a permie PM would in there. If you're any good or have any pride you would leave.

[Alf W]

This has got disaster written all over it. Give notice and walk. If anyone asks why explain that you're an experienced PM and can tell when a project has no chance of succeeding and you want no part of it.

Better to walk away from a 5h1t-heap straight away than spending some time rolling around in it first.

[Numpty]

In your shoes, I'd get the requirements and "everything else" done properly

I have tried, hence the 53 pages describing a simple technical solution (that for AnyOtherClientCo I would have mostly implemented myself!). I'm being given the runaround and on top of that having up to five meetings a day makes a little hard to settle down and write any lengthy document. Especially since there is no project support available so we PMs are expected to take the minutes too. Glorified bleeding secretaries, we are.

Don't do anything while you're ... I can almost guarantee that you'll regret it later.

Very wise words. I shall not walk out; I shall complete the notice period. And now I have calmed down and drunk a cold beer, I shall not hand in my notice without a gig to go to.

I would go to the programme manager and start making some demands. Unless you were brought in specifically to write the requirements, I would say "I'm the PM, you need a BA to write the requirements. If you don't hire a BA by x then I'll work as this the current situation is unmanageable".

I did escalate it. Formally. Up to director level. The reaction was "Yeah, yeah, we've heard it all before. 'Not enough resources, blah, blah'. It's your project and you are the PM, so just get on with it". Ditto for project support.

I'd probably walk anyway after having to put up with such crap. If they find another PM to take this on, then more power to him/her.

I am that other PM that took this on... (well, I was given it, at 17:45 one Friday evening as the programme manager was leaving for the weekend) the last one walked away.

If you go there will be trouble. And if you stay it will be double.

Scourer, you are an inadvertent genius . You have summed up the situation perfectly.

My CV is updated, and the first Jobserve application is about to be sent out. I'm leaving this sinking ship ... but I'll keep looting gold from its hold until the rescue boat comes alongside.

[BrilloPad]

If you go there will be trouble. And if you stay it will be double.

[beaker]

I would go to the programme manager and start making some demands. Unless you were brought in specifically to write the requirements, I would say "I'm the PM, you need a BA to write the requirements. If you don't hire a BA by x then I'll work as this the current situation is unmanageable".

I'd probably walk anyway after having to put up with such crap. If they find another PM to take this on, then more power to him/her.

[blacjac]

Or the blender I'd imagine......

[Xenophon]

and could mean your bollocks ending up in the blender.

...which would not be good.

For you or your bollocks.

[Bob Dalek]

Go sick instead of taking a holiday. Or claim a family crisis. Anything that gets you out of there for the requisit period.

If you are working weekends at home for this gig then it's not worth it.

WHS.

Can't play this joker too often, though this is one of those special occasions.

The "scapegoat" theory is, IMHO, not that far-fetched. No business could survive if the current insanity of non-decision making had always been the norm; something must have changed, and could mean your bollocks ending up in the blender.

[Tensai]

Make sure you've got an audit trail that covers your behind, and get out of there.

WHS with knobs on.

Don't do anything while you're ... I can almost guarantee that you'll regret it later.

[Bluebird]

The solution design was sorted out informally and verbally prior to my involvement.

No effort or money will be spent on implementation until the requirements are signed off. IT wont sign them off; the reason varies each time.

What business analyst would that be? Oh yeah, the one requested in every Programme Board report since January. And the project manager's job description is, of course, "Everything Else."

In your shoes, I'd get the requirements and "everything else" done properly - you're right that you shouldn't have been put in this poistion by the client and it would be easier to walk away - having said that they'd still blame you for everything.