How do you treat someone when you don’t think they’re the person you need to impress?

A conversation with Beth in my office got me thinking about the way some people treat support staff, EAs, receptionists and the people standing between them and the person they actually want to speak to.

Most people are brilliant. Some, however, are dismissive, abrupt or just plain rude.

And here’s the thing: it gets back to the person you’re trying to impress.

This is particularly relevant in recruitment, where it’s easy to become so transactional that you start viewing people as obstacles rather than humans simply doing their jobs.

That EA you’re trying to get past? They organise the CEO’s calendar. They speak to them every day. They have more influence over how you’re perceived than you might realise.

So today’s message is very simple: treat everyone with respect, not just the people you want something from.

Because people talk. And how you treat the people around someone says a lot more about you than how you treat the person you’re trying to impress.