Never Eat Alone : And Other Secrets to Success, One Relationship at a Time (9780385346665) by Ferrazzi Keith; Raz Tahl

Author:Ferrazzi, Keith; Raz, Tahl [Ferrazzi, Keith]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-0-385-34666-5
Publisher: Random House Digital
Published: 2014-06-02T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 19

Social Arbitrage

Some people become power brokers through sheer intimidation and force of will; others, generally with far better results, learn to become indispensable to the people around them.

I still remember the advice that made me aware of these two routes to power. Greg Seal pulled me into his office one day not long after I had been hired at Deloitte, sat me down, and said, “Stop driving yourself—and everyone else—crazy thinking about how to make yourself successful. Start thinking about how you’re going to make everyone around you successful.”

From the moment I had arrived at Deloitte, I was a man on a mission. I wanted to work more hours, meet more partners, be on the biggest projects solving the biggest problems—and I wanted to do it all now, because I was desperate to make a name for myself. In the wake of my ambition, a whole lot of people didn’t like me. And at Deloitte, as in all organizations, it isn’t easy getting things done when your peers dislike you.

That you’d anger and abuse some people on your way to the top used to be accepted practice. Michael Korda’s 1975 book on the secrets to becoming a corporate chieftain, Power! How to Get It, How to Use It, advised that “master players … attempt to channel as much information as they can into their own hands, then withhold it from as many people as possible.” But if thirty years ago power was attained through a monopoly of information (and a whole lot of angry people), today the system is more akin to social arbitrage: a constant and open exchange of favors and intelligence, as Greg had so wisely advised.

How does this work? Think of it as a game. When someone mentions a problem, try to think of solutions. The solutions come from my experience and knowledge, and my tool kit of friends and associates. For example, if I’m in a conversation and the other person mentions they’re looking to buy a house in Los Angeles, the first thing I think is “How can my network help?” And there’s no time to linger. Midconversation, I’ll pull out my cell phone and locate someone who can help my companion buy a home. As I’m dialing, I might say something like, “You need to meet this Realtor I know named Betty. No one knows the Los Angeles area better. Here’s her phone number, but hold on—” Now Betty is on the line. “Hi, Betty, it’s so nice to hear your voice. It has been too long. Listen, I’m standing here with a friend who is in need of your wisdom. I just gave him your number and wanted to tell you personally he’d be calling.” The connection is made, the work is done, and whatever happens next, both parties are pleased by my efforts on their behalf.

This is social arbitrage at work. And the first key is, don’t wait to be asked. Just do it.

Let me give you another example, an interaction I had with Hank Bernbaum, the CEO of High Sierra, a small bag manufacturer out of Chicago.

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