I was mentoring a group of female managers for WOMEN Unlimited, a leadership program that helps companies attract, retain and develop high-potential and executive women.

A woman we’ll call Lisa graduated from college a year ago. She looks young because, well, she is. She was having trouble being taken seriously at work, and one of the executives she works with could never seem to remember her name.

Preparing for an off-site meeting, she noticed a poker tournament was going to be part of the evening activities. Lisa had never played poker. So she taught herself how to play on the Internet.

She entered the tournament, ended up seated near the memory-impaired executive and even won a few hands. Now, every time this executive sees her he says, "Hey, Gambler!" and engages her in conversation. And, he always remembers her name.

I don’t know about you, but I'm thinking maybe it's Lisa who should be mentoring me!

There was a lot of savvy in what Lisa did. She put herself in the right place at the right time. And she came prepared. That night wasn't about winning or losing. It was about showing up and participating.

So next time you are tempted to skip the break-out sessions to watch re-runs of "The Office" in your hotel room (been there) or feign fatigue during dinner to keep that date with the junk food in your mini-bar (done that) – think again.

Because half of life really is showing up. And creating shared experiences with colleagues is part of playing for everyone to win.

So put your game face on and get out there. You might even have fun. You can watch "The Office" on your iPod on the way home.

Don’t let the title put you off.

Mr. Shmooze: the art and science of selling through relationships by Richard Abraham is a quick read with a worthwhile message for anyone who aspires to become a savvy communicator.

Written as a fable, it chronicles a summer with "Mr. Shmooze", during which an intern learns that being creative, going the extra mile and genuinely taking an interest in others trumps any sales pitch.

You may never go as far as having a client's car detailed by the valet while you dine (though I do think that's a brilliant idea), but this book will help you stop and think about how you might make some one else's day better with a little extra care and creativity. I know it has done that for me.

You can order the book at http:// www.mrshmooze.com/order.php. By the way, my car could really use a wax job. Wanna do lunch?

Companies like yours are hiring me to give my signature communications seminar: Building Business Relationships One Colleague at a Time. It has received rave reviews from conferences at companies such as Microsoft and Arthur J. Gallagher.

The one-hour, highly interactive session works well as a lunch-time learning program and as a conference break-out session (you know, those sessions you are no longer skipping).

Email me at janie.gabbett@marsteller.com to discuss how I can help you become the clever one who had the brilliant idea and brought the wonderful program to your company. I'll make it a point to use your name liberally and flatteringly throughout the session in exchange for rights to all the chocolate in your mini-bar.

Contact me today at:

• janie.gabbett@marsteller.com
• office: 312-596-3499
• www.marsteller.com

(note: the email below is now my personal one)

email: janie.gabbett@savvycommunicator.com

phone: 847-651-4821 (cell)