| Does it turn you off when you're introduced to | | | | The young man's dad, also a writer, proudly began |
| someone by your given name and few seconds later | | | | reading his son's "A" paper. Then he did something |
| that person addresses you by the wrong name? Tom | | | | instinctively, something he should not have done. He |
| rather than Tim? Or June instead of Jane? And then, | | | | began mentally ticking off the spelling, grammar and |
| in an obvious attempt to commit your name to | | | | punctuation errors in his son's paper. As he finished the |
| memory - the wrong name, that is - that person | | | | first page, he looked up at his son and asked, "How |
| repeats the error several times more? | | | | can this be an 'A' paper with nine errors just on one |
| While most of us are too polite - or too timid - to | | | | page.?" |
| correct that person, their continuing the error can make | | | | The son, as you might expect, answered his dad |
| you want to shake him or her by the shoulders and | | | | defensively, "Because that stuff doesn't make any |
| say, "Hey, can't you get it right?" | | | | difference." |
| Being on the receiving end of an error-riddled written | | | | Puzzled, the father asked "And why not?" to which his |
| document, no matter what kind or from whom, can | | | | son responded, "Because my science teacher doesn't |
| have the same effect: "Hey, can't you get it right?" | | | | care about spelling or any of that other stuff. That," he |
| There's no excuse for sloppy grammar, punctuation or | | | | said pointing at the paper in his dad's hand, "is a |
| spelling. Reasons, perhaps. But not excuses. Nothing | | | | science paper, and I got all the science part right." |
| can or does excuse such errors. | | | | Regardless of whether you're under or over 40, life in |
| The one reason I've run into most often seems to | | | | the real world isn't as forgiving. Everything you write in |
| originate with members of the under-40 crowd. When | | | | the real world is a reflection of who you are, what you |
| it comes to the rules of proper grammar, punctuation | | | | know, and what your values are, of what you're |
| and spelling, I believe if they were taught at all, those | | | | capable of doing and being. That's particularly true in |
| rules were seldom reinforced. | | | | the real world of business. |
| Forgive me if it seems like I'm picking under-40 | | | | While sloppy grammar, spelling and punctuation may be |
| generation - that's not my intent - particularly since it's | | | | overlooked by a friend reading a casual letter or email |
| not their fault. But let me share with you one of | | | | you've written, that's not going to happen with your |
| countless true stories I've heard supporting that belief. | | | | business letters. Such errors there have at times been |
| Some 20 years ago, when a sophomore in high | | | | known to be "fatal" because they've changed the |
| school, a young man came home one day, proud as a | | | | original intent of the document. |
| peacock, with a science paper on which, at the top of | | | | Errors are particularly significant in the emails you write |
| the page, in red ink, his teacher had written and circled | | | | because emails can take on a life of their own. |
| a big "A." Under that circled "A" the teacher had | | | | They're often forwarded to people you may not have |
| written "Great Work!" | | | | met - in fact, may never meet - people who, based on |
| He and his parents, both friends of mine, knew that an | | | | your poorly written email, form a lasting opinion about |
| "A" in science was no easy accomplishment. Certainly | | | | you, perhaps even decide your future. |
| not from this particular teacher who had a reputation | | | | The bottom line is that regardless of which side of 40 |
| for being demanding. Science, after all, is a rather | | | | you happen to be on, if you're gonna write, whatever |
| precise field of study. | | | | you write, write right. Or should I say "write correctly? |