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ARGitct, LLC

Anne R. Goulet, Principal

ARGitct, LLC is based in New York, NY, USA.
Our clients and projects are located worldwide.

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Publications

“How Do You Say ‘No’ to a Project Stakeholder?”read more

How Do You Say ‘No’ to a Project Stakeholder?

Owner's Representatives often see the overall project big picture in a unique macro-micro way, because we interact with so many different types of people and activities at so many different project execution levels. Thus, we are sometimes placed in the uncomfortable position of being the bearer of the dreaded bad news "no" to the most key people at the most key times during a project's life-cycle.

I anticipate that this issue will come up more and more, if and when various types of Project Scopes, Schedules, and Budgets become disrupted by current global health and economic uncertainties.

Although briefly tempted to answer: "Always get someone else do it," the issue is more complex than that. There are times when you may be forced to navigate the territory, particularly in the worlds of Design Aesthetics, ROI-driven Projects, and Investor Relationships.

Not all "no's" are equal, of course.

Not having enough money to be able to move forward with a project entirely as-planned is a vastly different type of "no" than telling a group of major investors that their favorite material is not suitable to use. And yet, both scenarios could potentially have the same outcome: no project at all, in the worst case... or in the best case, a better, more value-driven and satisfying project than what was first expected... all depending on how that "no" was delivered.

Here are some tips and tricks for delivering a "no" which seem to have worked reasonably well over the years:

Present your “no” as a “mostly yes.” Keep the news positive, but never falsely upbeat or saccharine. Show what CAN be accomplished, and talk about alternate solutions. Present the trade-off’s and losses as you go, so that the "no" develops a bit more slowly, and the Stakeholder can process the info. Arm yourself in advance with supporting facts and projections - budgets, schedules, pricing proposals, previously-approved drawings and documents, and legal/code rulings are some of the most effective means.
Be patient, flexible, and willing to explain the background and larger context behind the "no." Although most Stakeholders do not have the same multi-disciplinary training as an Owner's Representative, they generally will understand the issue over time, particularly when it is explained in the context of their own area of expertise. Study how they explain issues to their staff and key people, and try to match their style. You will connect with them and build rapport and trust more easily.

How a "no" is delivered can be the difference between no project at all.......or a better, more value-driven and satisfying project than what was first expected.

Know when it is not in your Contract Duties or in your own best interests to deliver the “no”. Does someone on the Project Team connect better with that particular Stakeholder? Is the matter really driven by the desires of an external consultant, or is it an internal organizational issue? Is it your area of expertise? Should the Chief Financial Officer, In-House Counsel, Governmental Affairs Advocate, Lead Designer, Project Architect, Construction Manager, or some other Executive-level team member deliver the news, while you support them and help to explain their decision, instead?
Establish a reputation of very limited “no’s." You will be taken much more seriously when you need to deliver the rare unqualified, “No, I am sorry, but that’s just not possible.”
Deliver the "no" discretely and individually whenever feasible. Committee Chairs and Board Officers don't like to feel or appear to be blindsided or undermined, even if unintentionally. Start by speaking with the highest-ranking Stakeholder, or the Stakeholder with whom you have the best professional relationship, and seek guidance/advice about how to approach the other Stakeholders.
Learn to read the body language of the recipient, and try to adjust in real-time from any perceived verbal mistakes/missteps or miscommunications. For example, a lack of questioning back to you after you deliver the "no" may indicate a lot of different things: Did the Stakeholders actually hear you correctly? Are they angry about what they just heard? Distracted by other issues? Do they need more time to physically process the information?
Follow-up and show engagement at various scales. Always ask the Stakeholders if they have the information they need or if they have any questions, both while you are presenting, as you are closing, and again a few days afterwards.

So, how do YOU say “no”?

Contributing Author, “The Heart of the City: Creating Vibrant Downtowns for a New Century” by Alexander Garvin, Island Press 2019read more

Excerpt from “The Heart of the City: Creating Vibrant Downtowns for a New Century”

Alexander Garvin, Author

Anne R. Goulet, Contributing Author

A good example of difficult cross-agency coordination and next-to-impossible regulatory conditions is the design and construction of a 20-story hotel and condominium located on a Park Avenue corner in Manhattan.

The building comprised multiple tax lots, spread across two different zoning, code, and fire districts. The power provider, Con Edison of New York (ConEd), required after construction had started and the foundations were nearly complete that the developers provide a large electrical transformer inside their building to serve the entire block, in order to compensate for the increased power draw on the surrounding properties. To accommodate this, the developers needed to add several large concrete electrical vaults with ventilation grates underneath the public sidewalks at both streets, re-design the basement and lobby, relocate the main hotel entrance, and split-off the condo entrance.

In addition to adhering to ConEd engineering criteria, the vault placement was also regulated by the NYC Department of Buildings (DOB) and the NYC Department of Transportation (DOT). The NY State Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) also regulated the sidewalks above the subway platform, where the vault was located; the United States Postal Service (USPS) had regulations about building entrance doors and street address numbers relative to the vault; and the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) had regulations for the outdoor restaurant seating nearby. The hotel management also needed to address a different set of US Federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations that would apply after they were operational, as well as basic ADA and ANSI compliance issues.

Not only were the design and regulatory approvals exceedingly complicated, costly, and lengthy, but the agency requirements also complicated/slowed the construction process and increased the cost of the project and the developer’s various insurance policies. To further complicate the situation, the NYC Department of Finance (DOF) and the NY State Attorney General (AG) considered the condominium portion of the building to be a different business entity than the hotel portion. Thus, separate paperwork, calculations, and filings were required from start-to-finish, even though the physical basement, lobby, and sidewalk area were all one unified property.