13.18 Conclusion

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No hard and fast rules apply equally to each situation you will encounter when dealing with customers and beneficiaries. A natural antagonism occurs in such relationships. The trap we fall into, as salespeople do too, is we feel vulnerable to beneficiaries and are quick to react to their negativity by trying to placate them. A smaller group of project managers react to this stress by trying to bully back. Either tactic creates its own set of problems. Hopefully, this chapter has presented the right approach to adopt so that, as unique situations arise, you know that you have the tools and the flexibility to steer the situation toward an outcome facilitating project success.

I do not want to leave the impression that the ideas advanced in this chapter are foolproof. Each new person you meet and each new situation in which you find yourself offers the opportunity to learn new twists on old clichés. The fellow you trusted and relied on previously may turn out to be difficult or unreliable. You may have created enemies that you thought were burgeoning friends. People's agendas are not easy to infer sometimes. Agendas are also likely to change. On this topic, I may sound like Pollyanna to some readers but Machiavellian to others. What I can state with certainty is that the approach in the chapter is based on my trials and tribulations as well as those of many individuals who came before me. If customized to your own sensitivities and environment, they should serve you well.

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