Don't Be That Boss: How Great Communicators Get the Most Out of Their Employees and Their Careers

Chapter 1. 7:00 AM Connections Made and Missed Out of the Gate

7:05: Forgetful Mike Lucks Out

Mike weaves his way through the morning throng at the convenience store. He is headed, as usual, back to the coffee island where he will prepare his first fix of the day. Ngoc is holding court at the register—laughing, teasing with several regulars as well as newcomers. She trades newspapers, cigarettes, gum, donuts, and juice for money and debit cards with the deftness of a Monte Carlo croupier.

Without missing a beat, she also delivers a corrective shout to her employee, who is building a point of purchase display directly behind her. The tiny woman with a Beatles haircut reminds the young man that every 12-pack has to face the customer in the same way in order to meet the distributor's display diagram.

"Extra large coffee for the extra large big shot . . . that will be $2.12 for you, Mr. Big Shot," Ngoc deadpans to Mike.

"There are two reasons I come in here, Ngoc. One is the fresh coffee; the other is the dose of humility you dole out. My wife says you are the only one who can keep me in line," Mike says.

"Your wife is a paradox. She says brilliant things like that, but she still had the bad judgment to tie herself to you. Is she smart or crazy . . . huh?"

"Maybe it was just a momentary lack of judgment," Mike says as he starts to pat, pat, pat his pockets, looking for his wallet, which he isn't finding.

"Yeah, that explains it," says Ngoc, who speaks grammatically perfect English but with ...