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THE NARCISSIST AT THE TABLE

The customer is sometimes wrong.

—HERB KELLEHER, FORMER CHAIRMAN AND CEO, SOUTHWEST AIRLINES

SCENARIO: I work for a product design and development company. One of our clients asked us to develop packaging for a line of personal care products, but the project is turning into a nightmare. One week, the client needs the shampoo bottles designed first. The next week he says, “I need the bath oil bottle designs immediately,” so we drop the shampoo bottles (not literally!) and start on the bath oil bottles—only to hear the next week, “It’s urgent that we get the soap bottles going.” But he still wants the shampoo and bath oil bottles done instantly as well! We can’t finish a single element of the project because every ...

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