If you are thinking about deals gone bad, the threat of layoffs or even investigations by the authorities, you would be wrong. Rather, it is the uncomfortable fact that your other half is often the one person who can make you change your plans.
I have more than enough examples of how Tai Tai has made me toe the line over the years — especially when I was still a high-flying banker — but there is another story I would much prefer to share.
A banker friend of mine, a head of investment banking no less, was in town for his firm’s swish annual conference. I, being retired but supremely well-connected, was of course in attendance.
As this was nearly a week-long affair, I naturally assumed the chap was extending his stay in Hong Kong to the weekend to get in some nights of drinking and letting his hair down. So when I asked to meet up over the weekend for a boozy catch-up, his response took me by surprise.
He said he could not under any circumstances extend his stay, because he lacked the necessary permissions from his wife. Rather than shacking up at the Four Seasons for the weekend, he was bound for the earliest flight home once the conference ended because he could not afford to offend the missus.
Thankfully for me, years of experience with Tai Tai have taught me that it’s better to ask for forgiveness than permission.