Managing Project Stakeholders--3. Assess Your Own Capabilities

What do we do well? What (if we are honest) are our potential blind spots? Do I have the political savvy and a sufficiently strong bargaining position to gain support from each of the stakeholder groups? If not, do I have connections to someone who can? Each of these questions is an example of the importance of understanding our own capacities and capabilities. Self-deception is one of the most pernicious causes of career destruction. Whether we deceive ourselves as to our capabilities, needs, or weak points, anything that can serve as a blind spot can also be a source of failure for the project. For example, not everyone has the contacts to upper management that may be necessary for ensuring a steady flow of support and resources. If I realistically determine that political acumen is not my strong suit, the obvious solution is to find someone to help me who has these characteristics. The Scots poet Robert Burns once noted, "Oh wad some Power the giftie gie us/To see oursels as ithers see us!" Each of us needs to seek, as far as we are able, the power of the "giftie" in developing our political skills.