Leader of the pact

Stanley Bing, the hilarious columnist who writes on life at work, answers a reader:

Dear Stanley,

I work for the largest bank in the world, and like all things it has its ups and downs. What strategies can I use to effectively “manage up”? I am hoping to differentiate myself from the pact, and my hard work seems to go unnoticed. Signed,

Ambitious

Dear Ambitious,

Well, you can start by learning to spell. I don’t mean to be unkind or rude, but there you have it. You won’t differentiate yourself from the “pact,” my friend, unless you are negotiating an international agreement of some sort. You will, however, differentiate yourself from the pack if you use language right and spell things correctly. Okay, there may be parts of the business world where spelling and grammar don’t count, and perhaps banking is one of them. But I don’t think so. I can’t tell you how many times, in spite of all my best intentions, I develop a slightly more negative opinion about somebody because they write me an e-mail that says, “Stan, your right.” I also have no particular affection for the dreaded “Him and me are going to call you about that.” What can I tell you? I’m a grammar and spelling police officer. I’m also a boss. If you want to manage me, you have to speak my language. Or any language. That’s a good beginning.