During the course of the workday, some people's needs naturally have a higher priority than others. For example, if my boss comes up to me and says, "Mitch, I need the updated project report by 11:00 tomorrow" then I will make sure I listen to that request and ensure I deliver the needed report on time.

However, what happens when my boss is standing in a noisy crowd of people around me and I can't hear her request? Or worse yet, what if there are so many people in the crowd that I don't even notice my boss is standing there, asking for something?
 
I tell you what happens: my boss is upset that I didn't deliver.