You're mid-chew on a sandwich when your colleague leans over and asks, "So what do you think we should do about the Morrison account?" You try to answer—really try—producing a series of muffled consonants that sounds like a malfunctioning garbage disposal. They nod thoughtfully and say, "Right, right," as if you've just delivered quarterly earnings. By the time you've actually swallowed, they've already made a decision based on your cheese-laden wheeze.