Work is hard enough without someone trying to stop you. And you’d think that wouldn’t be a frequent occurrence, but sometimes the people doing the most to hinder you are the people who ostensibly want the work to get completed as much as you do!
Sometimes people want to get to the same place as you, but they want the journey to be very different. They could just have a big ego. Maybe they want more credit than they’ll get if they just stay out of your way. Or perhaps their intentions are noble but they’re just not very good at the task in question. Whatever the case, it’s always a challenge when you have to do the extra layer of work that is managing someone who doesn’t want to be managed.
Pick your battles. Leave when you can. This sort of fight is rarely worth it, because you don’t even get a vanquished foe when you’re done – you just get an annoyed ally. Take a deep breath and kill ’em with kindness. Offer to follow their lead, and then do your own thing if they lead poorly – they’ll back off more readily than if you argue up front.
And seek out more allies in new places, whenever you can. The more you have to choose from, the less likely you’ll be stuck with the worst one.
The Opportunity Machine 