Power Play: Don’t use a sledgehammer to break the ice

Power Players know to chip away gently at the ice. They put the sledgehammer away because it would be like using a bazooka to kill a mosquito.

Ice breaking is a fine art and it doesn’t have to happen all at once. Power Players know that it’s usually awkward getting to know somebody new in business. People are guarded, unsure of whom to trust and nervous about crossing any lines.

Power Players always walk softly when attempting to create a bond with someone new.

Remember these three golden rules: don’t get too familiar too fast, don’t act like a friend when you’re not and if the person you’re courting gives you a red light, stop talking before you humiliate yourself.

Power Players have a deft touch with the ice breaking skill required in business today. Watch them and learn. It’s one of those terrific lessons that no business school in the world can teach you.