Be Professional Until the Very End

In mid-2003, while I was still living in Curitiba, Brazil, I started working at a consulting firm on a project for a major client. The project was expected to be long-term, and the team consisted of over 70 people. It was a process restructuring project, and there was a lot of work to be done, indicating that the next two to three years would be dedicated to this endeavour.

At that time, I was working as a Systems Analyst. My job involved gathering requirements, documenting processes, creating use cases, sequence diagrams, and other activities. We were using RUP as our project methodology, and numerous artefacts were being produced. The project followed a Waterfall model, and we were still in the business modelling, requirements gathering, and analysis phases. The entire team was divided into different areas, mapping out the necessary information.

Suddenly, towards the end of the year, we received the kind of bad news no company likes to hear: the client had cancelled the project. This meant that everyone involved would have only a few more weeks of work left. It was time to wrap up the analysis and documentation, organise everything, and close the project. At that moment, I was the father of two children, and my wife was pregnant with our third child. I cannot deny that the news shook me, as the future seemed uncertain both personally and professionally.

In the weeks that followed, people began to leave. Some left the project to seek other jobs; others left because there was no more work to be done, and some simply gave up, abandoning their responsibilities. The quality of the documentation began to decline. As the team shrank, workgroups were consolidated, and I began coordinating a small group to organise what still needed to be completed.

This was an extremely difficult task. How could I ask my colleagues to collaborate, demand results, when everyone knew that in just a few days, regardless of their efforts, they would be out of a job? This was the dilemma I faced, and it was not easy.

I could have chosen to do the bare minimum and simply wait for my time to leave. I could have kept an eye on the job market, found something better, and left everyone behind. But I decided to do the opposite. I chose to give my best, to encourage everyone around me to deliver high-quality documentation, leaving a good impression on the project. The fact that we were leaving was no reason to tarnish our reputations.

Over time, I saw colleagues leave, but they left behind good work. I saw colleagues thanking me for helping them deliver their best during those difficult moments. Some were even reassigned to other projects because of the commitment they demonstrated.

I was the last to leave. I literally turned off the lights in the project room. The company kept me on until the very last minute, producing my deliverables and coordinating the delivery of others. During that time, I managed to bring out the best in all the professionals, even in a chaotic moment for everyone. I was able to motivate them while keeping myself motivated. I didn’t use any tricks or psychology for that; I simply worked each day as if the end were not near.

Shortly before finishing my assignment, the head of the consulting firm informed me of a vacancy for a Java Analyst/Programmer at a company they were servicing. I liked Java and had been familiar with the language since 1998. My final university project had been done in Java/Oracle, and it was exactly this knowledge that the new position required.

I joined the new company to work on Java development and data integration. I have always enjoyed development work, and I felt at home there. A few weeks later, my son was born. Although I had joined the company as an external consultant, I always felt part of that place, until the day I was eventually taken on as a permanent employee.

At that time, my professionalism kept me where I was. I could have decided to abandon what I was doing and might have found something interesting elsewhere. However, I chose to remain ethical, focused, and professional, delivering everything I was supposed to until my very last day.

The curious thing is that, little did I know, that last day of my assignment was actually the first day of a new phase in a world of knowledge and technology that would stay with me for the rest of my life. My decision to remain committed to the work I was doing helped me secure the new role, as they were looking for someone dedicated and committed. At least, that’s how the former head of the consulting firm “sold” me at the time.