A Flight Ticket, a Lost Bid
Language: en
I was ready to go to war with the finance department over a $300 plane ticket. "Rules are rules. Not a single penny over budget," the finance manager declared, her voice dripping with condescension. As a result, our company lost an eight-and-a-half-million-dollar contract. At the debriefing, the CEO was incandescent with rage. "Will someone please explain to me what the hell happened?" I stood up, met the eyes of everyone in the room, and said calmly, "It happened because I couldn't afford the plane ticket to deliver the proposal to the client."