Successful government contractors know that relationships matter.  Whether its with key government contacts or industry partners, good relationships and good reputations definitely position a company to grow.  Another aspect of this issue that doesn’t get as much attention, but should, is the reality that, despite thousands of companies selling across a large government, the world of government contracting is a small one.  Whether IT, professional services, pharmaceuticals, or virtually any other industry segment, there are groups of contractors who seem to travel in packs from one meeting to the next and from one issue to the other.  They often meet with the same people from government, as well.  Taking a line from Casablanca, we often call these people “the usual suspects”.  There truly are only one to two degrees of separation.  Further, the person who you see today wearing one hat, may be the person you see next year wearing another.  This reality amplifies why having a good reputation is important, both for companies and individuals.  It’s important to get along with people in this market and to treat them fairly, even if they get on your nerves sometimes.  Experience has proven over and over that you will almost certainly work with the very person you didn’t want to work with again.  If a bridge was previously burned that makes the new encounter much more difficult, if not impossible. That can hamper both company and individual success over time.  Remember that today’s political “in’s” will be tomorrow’s “outs”, but that some of those “outs” will be “in” again one day.  While it is difficult to get along with every person in every situation, professionalism matters.  Giving in to the temptation of taking a dig at someone – or worse – can do more harm to you than the intended target.  Don’t be surprised to find yourself uttering the phrase “small world” in government business.  Just make sure you can say it positively and not with regret.  The impact on your business can be very real.