Masonry Magazine August 2006 Page. 38
Full Contact Project Management
Killing Them with Helpfulness!
Gary Micheloni
FULL CONTACT PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Here's the picture: you're on the phone-again-trying to collect something from your client. Maybe it's a check so that you can cover this week's payroll; maybe it's a change order so that you can finally bill next month for the work you did last month. You know the drill! You've made those calls, and you've received the same lack of response. Don't you just hate it when your client turns a deaf ear to your problems, after you have already solved his or her problems? You kept the job going, made your client happy, and spent your money. Now, you'd just like to get it back.
If you've read this column before, I know you've already been down this road at least once. Seems like some kind of cosmic law: Sometimes when you're working with people you'll get stuck at the short end of the stick and regret that you were ever so helpful. You'll ask yourself, "What was I thinking?" The way this story usually ended for me, back when I was actively contracting, was that after I struck out, I had to go home and then explain to my wife all of the above! Which experience was worse?
I've been down this road before. That's why I wrote the book, "Get Paid for a Change," and why you should get the free audio summary of it available in the Playbook, on the following page. And it's also why I've started a blog, so that we can all get together and talk about what's happening, what our struggles are, and how we deal with them. Plus, it allows me the chance to go off on a rant whenever something new comes up - and that happens a lot.
Anyway, how does a contractor make his or her way along this perilous trail and not lose their direction, their mind or their integrity? How do you deal with these issues? I'll tell you what works for me: I don't get mad; I don't try and get even; I just try to be "helpful." Here's what I mean...
Consider a couple of actual examples of mine (properly disguised, of course, to protect the guilty). In a nutshell, I let my client know that I am about to "help" them resolve the issue. And I have found that, over the years, they usually don't want my "help," but I give it to them anyway.
Once, when working for a large, public zoo, our CM was unable to get our change order request approved by the zoo's board at least, so we were told. Since it didn't seem right to me, and because we really wanted to get our money, I told the CM that I was willing to help. The CM asked, "What are you going to do to help?" I said that I had in mind calling a press conference. "Press conference? Why would you call a press conference?" I said that I thought it was a news event, and that the media would be interested in how a large, public agency was taking advantage of a small business, just as the zoo's new attraction that we had helped to build was about to open. Sort of a David vs. Goliath thing.
The predictable happened:
"You don't need to do a press conference." Me: "I don't mind."
"It's not going to help." Me: "I'll be glad to try."
"We really don't need your help here." Me: "Listen, I'm not going to take no for an answer - I insist upon helping!"
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