I have been a consultant for a small software consulting firm for quite some time now. Our normal business model is not staff augmentation, but such that we find clients who need assistance in building a solution of some kind and then send in a team who can build that solution, work with the existing IT staff, train all involved on supportting that solution, then move on to the next job. We, of course, are still around for any needed ongoing support. We have a great reputation in our area and have been very successful in implementing the solutions that we provide.

However, I have noticed a common theme for most of our projects. When we get on-site, there is generally a "stressed" relationship between our team and many of the IT staff currently at the client. I understand completely that there may be some anxiety about our arrival and that defenses can come up when we are around. Many of the folks are understanding and easy to work with, but there are usually some who will not work well with us at all, and who can quickly become a project risk in many ways.

We try to go in with open minds and good attitudes, and try NOT to be arrogent or condecending. We generally get deployed when there is a mess to clean up - but we understand that there were reasons decisions were made that got them in the bind they are...so we just try to determine the next step forward and move on.

My question is this - I'd like to hear from the IT staff and programmers out there who have had consultants in - what are the things that consultants do that fire up negative feelings and attitudes? What can we do better to make the relationship better, not only in the beginning, but as the project moves forward?