Book excerpt: Managing Politics and Conflict in Projects is an easy-to-read, no-nonsense guide that walks you through the “soft” issues of project management, including communicating, negotiating, and influencing skills that are vital to your project success. Understand your organization's political climate and culture and ascend the corporate ladder to the next level as a project manager. Learn how to deal with political issues requiring complex organizational and interpersonal skills, using valuable review points, tips, and a fictional narrative illustrating the book's main points. •Improve and develop your leadership, interpersonal, and communications skills •Negotiate your political environment •Acknowledge and overcome challenges inherent in project management •Enhance your career by effectively utilizing politics and conflict •Recognize and interpret the barriers of communication •Be prepared to enter into a negotiation •Overcome cultural challenges