Honestly, for every project, I am amazed at the length of behavior to get the “Real Number”. This is a personal experience I witnessed.

The project was a large Hospital build with a budget of one billion. The owner brought MySmartPlans on the project to protect it from litigation.  Our first meeting was with the General Contractor (GC) at Capitol Grill, all the dressings, the round table in the middle of the restaurant, and the tower of seafood in the center. 

Martinis flew. The topic was about the Owners’ representative’s children, they would be in the NFL they were so talented, and the beauty of his wife. I thought to myself, they must have known him for years. NO the GC and Owner rep had just met, however, the GC were masters of manipulation, masters of interrogation, masters of getting the owner so drunk on compliments and martinis that he had no defenses. Martinis with onions, dirty martinis, Manhattan martinis, they just kept flowing.

I became alarmed, how would the GC defend the mastery of “friendship” manipulation? I became an observer, the only woman at the table. Then the question was asked. “WHAT IS THE REAL NUMBER?” The Owner rep was about to answer when I stepped up and asked him not to answer, he was beyond drunk and being utilized for their benefit. They wanted to know what the real project budget could be, and what he could be bled for if they pushed the project further than asked.

Weapons against Owners are subtle, little things like friendship (otherwise known as manipulation).  Do not be a pawn on the chess board, be the board, don’t fund your project on friendship, verify then trust!

Have someone on the project that always looks at your best interest.