I think the more useful way to look at his comment is that similar tactics as these "influence scams" can be used within projects. I've personally found it dif

I think the more useful way to look at his comment is that similar tactics as these "influence scams" can be used within projects. I've personally found it difficult sometimes to walk the line between bluntness and rudeness. There are going to be instances where a co-worker will continue down the wrong path or make the same mistakes or just not conform to the proper design philosophies or decisions, but things will keep stalling during any polite discussion as they keep walking around the issues while you try to come to the correct decision that they don't want to do (either through ignorance or perceived excessive effort required). At the end of the day, you can't always rely on your manager to step up and say "you are wrong, do it the other way", and informing a stubborn co-worker that their work/decision is stupid can be difficult to do politely if they engage in delaying or obstructive tactics.