The Hurler On The Ditch

A friend who worked at O'Hare International Airport told me this story. He once watched a passenger absolutely scream at an airline ticket agent. The ticket agent, however, remained completely calm. After the tirade was over, my friend asked her how she could remain so calm, and she said, "That's easy. He's going to Auckland, but his bags are going to Sydney."

One of the great misconceptions of selling, pitching, and partnering--basically, any time you want to get someone to do something for you--is that you should suck up to the people with the big titles and "A list" designation. Sometimes you do--as you've already read in this blog [Bona tempora volvantur], but the ability to suck up to the folks who don't have big titles but make the world run is more useful...