What to do if offered a "Brush- by". - Blair McPherson

 

You know if you have been given the brush off but should you welcome the opportunity for a "Brush-by" ? In the US they are no longer restricted to official meetings,informal meetings and secret meetings they now also have "Brush-bys". Your chair/boss doesn't want you to give this pressure group the status of a meeting fearing it will be misinterpreted as in some way showing support or sympathy for their cause when the leadership position is against it. How ever as the Americans say you want to "reach out" to them. You could have a secret meeting but that would give totally the wrong impression to all concerned. So what you do is arrange to informally bump into or "Brush -by" each other for a quick off the record chat, 10 minuets max. This allows the powerful to maintain their official position and play down the significance of the encounter whilst allowing the other to have the enhanced status amongst their staff/constituents of having had a meeting with the powerful. Or as they say in the US of A "reach out I'll be there."

Blair McPherson www.blairmcpherson.co.uk