Great quote from Heather Monahan

I had never heard of Heather Monahan before her enlightening interview with Cal Fussman on his podcast. While the whole interview was enjoyable one particular quote of hers stood out –

“If you are not dealing with the ultimate decision maker then you cannot accept a no from someone who cannot tell you yes”

This is a fantastic lesson to learn in project management and life in general as it is important to understand if the person you are dealing with has the level of authority and power to make a decision.

Not only the level of authority a person has needs to be understood but also their level of influence. While someone may not have the authority to give a yes or no they could influence the ultimate decision maker who can give the decision.

In conclusion it is important to understand who you are dealing with in a project.