You're about to call to make an appointment to see the Tough Prospect. Your call is answered by the company receptionist. Then ask her to connect you with Mr. T.P.'s office. Do business with your heart and what you wind up with is heart disease. I've gone to great lengths to make sure that any business arrangement I'm involved in is backed up with yards of paper that describe exactly who does what and what happens if they don't.
Understandings prevent misunderstandings.
But sometimes, you need a refresher course. In the '70s, we held a series of corporate planning sessions at Mackay Envelope Corp. and decided we needed additional capacity both in machinery and square footage. My management team strongly suggested we build out of Minneapolis and in Iowa, offering compelling reasons to do so. I decided to ignore the advice and expand in Minneapolis. In other words, I made a decision based solely on emotion and ego, not sound business reasoning.