Take a hostage

“John Q” with Denzel is on tonight, which reminds me of one of the most useful pieces of advice my former boss gave me. She said I should take hostages before big meetings. Often I, like so many others, liked the idea of dazzling everybody with a fantastically creative idea. Never, however, was the response as enthusiastic as I had envisioned.

“Before the next meeting, have lunch with somebody in the group and let them in on your big idea. The person will feel special, and when the meeting rolls around, you will have an ally in the room. A hostage.”

Pretty smart, isn’t it?