Now most of you probably will not ever come face to face with Britain’s Queen Elizabeth as President Bush did at the one and only white tie affair at the White House since he has been in office. But, you can take some cues from the interaction between the Queen and The Prez when dealing with other VIPs you may come across in the course of your work.

The MOST important thing to remember is: If you even slightly think that something you are about to do or say may come off as being…how shall we put this?..STUPID, then DO NOT DO IT!  It more than likely will come across that way.

Bush tried his down home alleged Texas charm on Her Royal Highness and ended up looking like an ass. At one point, he even confided to his audience that the Queen had shot him a look that usually only a mother gives a child when she is not amused.

VIPs–whether they be royality,actors,politicians,authors,whatever,tend to have the sort of egos that prefer to keep the spotlight on them, usually to the exclusion of other lesser human beings. While there are some exceptions, it is usually not a good idea to try and make small talk or tell a joke to or, worse, about, a VIP in the same room with you unless you know that person very well and can anticipate how they might react.

This does not mean one has to walk around with a zipper over one’s mouth when around a VIP…it just means that it is important to remember that that person is probably NOT your friend…probably doesn’t want to BE your friend…and without doubt Never will be your friend. Therefore, your best and most effective approach is to maintain some emotional distance and keep your comments and all other interactions at a somewhat formal level.

When the Queen last visited the White House back when the current Bush’s dad was Prez, the younger Bush introduced himself to the Queen as the black sheep of his family. That was bad enough. But, he then actually went on to ask the Queen who the black sheep was in her family?  Her response : “None of your business!”

See what I mean!