Sounds good overall. Although I think you meant "reticence", right?

If you're an employee, your problem may be that you're "Raising Customer Expectations" beyond what is typical of others in similar roles in the organization. When you do this, customers who are served by less enthusiastic staffers hear about you from your delighted customers, and complain to your management about the disappointing service they're getting from the others on your team. I got fired from my first IT job for precisely this reason. I've not been fired because of it in recent positions, but I've not been able to get management to recognize (by raise or promotion) the really first-class service I'm providing to internal and external clients. I do get an occasional verbal 'good job' comment, but the promotions and raises go to others - and new hires come in at higher rates.

Next time Mr. Inviz is hired, he can do one more thing. Whenever a downstream beneficiary of his great service offers up a Thank You, he can laugh and say "Don't tell me, tell so-and-so, my boss!" Be sure the laugh is included, as it completely takes the edge off this snide little way of 'blowing your own horn'.
And eventually some people do take the hint and email the boss with their thank yous for the great job a person has been doing.

Nice article, I commented on it myself in my blog.

Don't forget the Scotty Principal - tell someone that the emergency work will be done in a week, when it is done in two days, you will look like a hero.

From the original post, what is the level of "management"? If you are a consultant as Bob guesses, then no, I wouldn't expect management to care if you leave. Not to be crude, but there is always another consultant around the corner. Should they better prepare for a knowledge transfer? Absolutely. But, there is not the emotional attachment, as with people who have worked years with each other.

Mr. Invisible needs to separate two issues: value to employer and response to leaving. He doesn't say why he's leaving and specifically does not indicate that the employer is terminating his employment. The implication is that he is leaving for his own purposes. And frequently. As an employer, why would I want such an employee? And as an employer, I generally ask people why they choose to leave but almost never try to get them to stay. Why? Because they already have checked out. And have the exiting employee train his replacement? NEVER! Why would I want a disgruntled employee to infect the next person? So either we're missing a lot of this story or Mr. Invisible is not someone I would want to hire or retain.

My initial reaction to reading the opening letter was "what aren't you telling us?" I know that there are both good and bad companies out there. But, it seems to me that most companies won't cavalierly let someone go if the "consumers" are finding value in that person.

Here's one specific thought that occurred to me from experience where I work: When you add value for the consumer, is it at the expense of the "customer" (the guy paying your bill)?

I've seen many a help desk person, for example, be hugely popular with the consumers because he can solve every problem, and quickly. But, his coworkers hate working with him because he breaks every standard to make the end user happy. The coworkers end up cleaning up after him (completing paper work, buying licenses for hastily installed software, repairing a workstation configuration back to standard and fixing the "problem" in a long-term supportable way, etc.).

Not everything that you might do for end users is in the best interest of your employer. If you're so sure that they end user is happy, but the employer is letting you go, have you rationalized that you're just not being appreciated? Maybe you're causing problems and don't want to see it that way.

Now, this reaction may not at all apply to the writer of the letter...there's too much detail left out to know...so chalk this up as a reaction to some hypothetical person's situation.

Here is a question to Mr Invisible .. Why are people frantic when Mr. Invisible leaves?

If the job was done correctly it should have minimal disruption to the other workers and the organization.

If Mr. Invisible was a software developer was the application created to be user friendly and appropriate messages displayed so the user does not need to go to the developer for help. Is the help documentation up to date or does it even exist?

I expect Mr. Invisible is doing a really great job but is he doing that little bit more to impress? Management sometime look beyond just completing the task given.

From someone who's been in Invisible's shoes at 3 Fortune 500 companies as an employee (not contractor) in IT & Corporate communications working w/ internal clients...

1.) Managers consider employees replaceable, especially so in IT because of documententation requirements. While some employees are less easy to replace than others, this is generally true. So them wishing you well and saying goodbye isn't surprising.

2. Replacements don't start at the top of the learning curve. Its not surprising to hear your internal customers compain that the joint's not running as well as when you were there. You probably became a reliable and knowledgeable expert in your time there, its possible the replacement will as well, in time.

3. That your manager spurned your offer to help train the replacement is strange, and probably does indicate the manager either doesn't understand your function or undervalue it.

I agree with Dr. Bob's advice but with a twist: happy, internal clients (particularly ones at a higher level in the org chart than your managers) can be a very powerful stakeholder group. And while you do need to learn to toot your horn appropriately and at the right times, a satisifed customer/client can also help do this for you.

When clients called to thank me for a job well done, I sincerely told them I'd apperciated the sentiment, and then humorously mentioned I'd really appreciate that if he/she mentioned that to my boss as well. (it worked!) Don't do this all the time, just when you think the project is really worth crowing about. I've found a lot of managers place higher weight on outside employees' opinions than their own employees when it comes to performance appraisals. So leverage that to your advantage.

Bob,

you hit this nail RIGHT on the HEAD. This is all too common (read, "I've made this mistake myself before).

Relationships with our "consumers" are often nice and easy. They see directly what we are doing on their behalf so they appreciate us, affirm us, and frankly, are frequently happy for any listening and help they can get.

Relationshops with "customers" can be thorny as they often are buying our services for multiple consumers, some of whom may not be made explicitly clear.

As such, we have to understand and parse seemingly conflicting expectations and work to align ourselves (and often are consumers) with them or shape them for the better.

At the end of the day, consumers are nice, customers pay.

Bob,

you hit this nail RIGHT on the HEAD. This is all too common (read, "I've made this mistake myself before).

Relationships with our "consumers" are often nice and easy. They see directly what we are doing on their behalf so they appreciate us, affirm us, and frankly, are frequently happy for any listening and help they can get.

Relationshops with "customers" can be thorny as they often are buying our services for multiple consumers, some of whom may not be made explicitly clear.

As such, we have to understand and parse seemingly conflicting expectations and work to align ourselves (and often are consumers) with them or shape them for the better.

At the end of the day, consumers are nice, customers pay.

Right on. The people who ask for you to work and often direct your work are ussually far removed from those that determine your furture. Especially if you are a senior consultant. Mgmt often just gives you a desk and introduces you to their (not your) customer, or as you stated consumer.
Always keep in mind who's bonus is affected if your costs are eliminatedm, and what their needs are.