“People will not go along with you if they can’t get along with you”, John C. Maxwell, Leadership Expert

In a government project I worked in years ago, I was asked by the CEO to resolve an internal sticky stakeholder problem that was stalling an important project.

I had to facilitate a meeting between multiple internal decision-makers, as a huge misunderstanding occurred between the Project Team, the Architect, and the Manager in question (whom I’ll call Mr D, who operated the problem site). Mr D thought he was getting a new facility instead he was getting just enough money for a renovation.

As per usual, my approach was to have a meeting before the meeting, strategising responses, identifying risks, and preparing everyone to ensure we were all on the same page about the negotiables and non-negotiables and must-haves such as, that Mr D was not going to get any further funding that year nor the next, and a more palatable design solution was on the table.

But when it came to our Planning Director, he declined to meet us before the important meeting, telling us he knew the mandate and didn’t need his time wasted with a briefing. This did not bode well for us at all.

On the day of the meeting, the first 15 minutes was a about who said what and when, with the Planning Director getting critical information about the project wrong and speaking about things that seemed to relate to another site. It was embarrassing, as we had to carefully correct him.

Then a bombshell… Mr D brought something up, and the Project Manager was ready with a response when the Planning Director said, “Mr D, we’ll be able to accommodate your vision of a new facility in the next budget”.

We all had WTF faces on! I was expecting a surprise from Mr D, but not from our very own Director! UGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tactfully, I and a decision-maker from another division tried to get the conversation back on track, while our Planning Director continued belittling us and our stakeholders with, “I’m the Planning Director, and I know what we can or can’t do”.

“If you have to tell people you’re the leader of the pack, you’re not”, John C. Maxwell.

In the end, I needed to shut his sh*t down before he made it any worse, so I was forced to end the meeting promising to get back to them all. The Planning Director was furious and threatened to get me fired.

Post meeting, would you believe he continued arguing his point by insulting my CEO, (also his boss), and then my GM who wasn’t even there!

I got calls from just about everyone from that meeting demanding that he be removed from the project. Even Mr D called to complain.

Alas, although the Director was brilliant technically, he had no people or business acumen skills. He ‘couldn’t read a room’ with people that were silently screaming for him to stop. His lack of project knowledge even at a basic level, was insulting to all involved. Worst of all, he believed he was above and beyond anybody was disrespectful and unacceptable.

Within 48 hours, I returned to meet with Mr D with our CEO and the real subject matter expert, the Project Manager, to finally close out all issues and reach a positive solution that saved Mr D’s reputation and ours, putting the project back on track.

As for the Planning Director? Thankfully, he was permanently removed from his duties. 

Remember, a title may get you through the door and buy you a little time, but communicating with influence (and respecting others), will let you stay.

For further information contact me, [email protected] or visit my website www.trueressolutions.com