Outsourcing etiquette, or lack thereof

Officially today the India people are the 100% support for my Web applications. I was invited to a meeting with my soon-to-be former boss and the Indian contractor (the onshore one) to discuss a new enhancement. My boss seemed satisfied with the meeting: the contractor did a good job asking questions and suggesting next steps so the project could move forward. I was there mostly as an "if needed" resource on the conference call, and wasn't called on for much input.

It's uncomfortable being the fifth wheel in anything, much less your sphere of expertise for the last six years. What's left of the team is "moving on", and wasn't I fortunate to be a witness to it all? Please. Where's the corporate Miss Manners when you need her?

Business transitions are normal and nothing new. Training your successor, and seeing things go forward can be a rewarding feeling. My longtime co-worker, whose last day is tomorrow, has been going through this herself. But there's a big difference between my situation and when you are leaving by choice.

I'm being let go, not because I screwed up, nor because the function is being eliminated - it's simply a cold dollars and cents calculation. OK, by this time I get it; but do I have to be the cheering section for my own funeral? It's like the ex-spouse, dumped in favor of someone new, having to stick around for 90 days to ease the transition for their replacement.

Spousal divorces never go this far. But my corporate divorce? Compassion is not its strong point.


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