What’s more important what you know or who you know?

Through out my life I have come across people that name and association drop, in my early adult life I must admit it impressed me. That’s because I did not know or mix with important people or belong to any organizations.

Later in life people whom name drop or say they belong to a business association I realizes now means. The person has no personal charismas of character and needs to build up a professional profile or one of power and knowledge.

I tend to think its best to be what one is and if you know influence people or belong to an association or society keep it to ones self unless asked especial at business meetings or legal ones. I once or twice found it amusing that some guys applying for jobs at an IT employment agency at their interview dropped names of people I knew. Of course I would phone and ask for a reference on the spot. The reference was never a good one.

Then a friend here in the Philippines a 2 years or so ago drop the name of the Mayor of a city in Cebu at a Barangay (village) Captain dispute meeting and the captain phoned the mayor of whom was peer of his at school. The mayor said he did not know my friend and never met him. Of course my friend was viewed as being a liar and was completely showed up whilst being told off for bring a complaint about his neighbors loud music. Of course being a witness to the event I was trying to hold my amusement.

I have another friend here and he names drops thinking local businessmen and people are impressed and his partner has also take up the habit. One day I expect I will be there when the name and association dropping will back fire. You see in the Philippines it’s instantly frown at and the people that are contacted because of name dropping will not admit to knowing you or anything about you. It’s in the Filipino culture not to get involved in other peoples problems unless asked by the person themselves.

So here in the Philippines it’s normally more important what you know than who you know. Other than being indorsed personal and recommend by the important people you know.

Its properly the same elsewhere in the third world, but it amuses me here because I really hate name dropping etc.