KNOWLEDGE IS POWER 41 getting to know people you may never meet Obviously, your relationships with your boss and with your colleagues are what matter most at work. However, depending on the size of the organisation, there may be people whom you may never meet but nonetheless need to know. In many large organisations, the chances of your ever actually meeting the `top brass' are pretty remote but you still need to know that they exist and who they are. You'll feel pretty silly if someone refers to So-and-so and you ask who they are, not knowing that they're the managing director! Organisation websites, intranets and annual reports are usually a valuable source of such information. You should also be able to obtain organisational charts which show the key individuals at the head of the various departments. It's unlikely anyone will bother to take the time to fill you in on such matters; they're not directly related to your work. But they're important nonetheless and the onus is hence on you to do your homework accordingly. skeletons in the cupboard