极具Microsoft特色的英语

昨天帮朋友改了一封email。她打算在年底写信给她的boss要求多加点薪水,因为自己在2004年干了很多事情而且明年活会更多。我看了一下,改成了如下的样子:

Subject: 2004 Review and 2005 Plan

Dear Alice,

How is going on? It's the end of 2004. Here I like to update with you my status of this year.

In 2004, I've taken more additional responsibilities, such as stock management, stock invoice checking and going deeper with the SAP system. Besides, in early this year, we did physical stock checking together. My skill-sets also got improved in those assignments and ready to take bigger challenges. I'd like to thank you for your support in this year and sending me to the training of Blahblah in Hong Kong.

As my plan for 2005, I am going to move forward along my career path in Northwind. With your support, I am always committed to doing my best job, regardless the local sales manager changing. I am pleased to take ownership of more items, such as offering, market info, and sort of things which was in sales' scope. My workload will be heavier than before since I will assist Bob, the acting sales manager, negotiate with customers, in both con-call and onsite meeting. Plus, Chris's blahblah business grows fast and brings much more customers and orders.

I've been in Northwind for ~3 years. I love this company and feel happy with my workmates. The benefit is also satisfying while I expect 15% merit increase to my annual salary as a recognition to my value to company and my achievements in 2004.

Looking forward to your comments.

Best Regards
Diana

当然,这里面的Alice、Bob、Chris和Diana都是假名,熟悉密码学的应该很了解,这就和中文里面的甲乙丙丁或者张三李四的用法是类似的。Northwind是我们给客户作demo solution时常用的假公司。

原信在修改前的主要talking point是:我活很多很重,所以我应该多劳多得。这样说效果并不好,因为老板会说:Ok,既然你活很重,那么拿掉一点给别人。原信还提到自己的能力在工作中提高了,因此也要涨工资。这条理由更是站不住脚的了。

修改以后,信里的重点改为:我为公司做了很多事情,我对公司有value,我愿意而且能够为公司做更多事情,所以请给我加薪表示对我的工作以及价值的认可。这样讲,比较reasonable。毕竟,对于基层员工来说,老板最看重的还是他deliver了什么东西。

Btw,我相信很多Microsoft的人看到这封修改过的信都会觉得很亲切。因为里面很多说法都是极具Microsoft特色的英语,例如take big challenge,以及I love this company。

各个公司都有自己极具特色的英语。Louis V. Gerstner(郭士纳)在他的"Who Says Elephant Can't Dance" (谁说大象不能跳舞)里面提到,IBM也有自己的独特的一些英语用法,以致于新来的员工一时竟虽能看懂词句却不知道确切是什么意思。他在书中将此列为沟通障碍问题。

Comments on “极具Microsoft特色的英语

  1. fangzhiyuan November 23, 2004 11:49 AM

    mvm兄,我有一事请教,这个涨薪的额度怎么控制阿?涨多少,我该怎么样去判断比较合适呢?还请指教。

  2. mas November 23, 2004 01:04 PM

    15%阿,最高涨幅1讲,据说去年平均涨幅是1.6%...

  3. Elaine November 23, 2004 03:37 PM

    呵呵,IBM style的英语在于首字母缩写暴多。一句话里夹若干个缩写,新人读起来句子通顺就是不知道什么意思,不知道mvm的同学Yagni当时有没有同感。

  4. John November 23, 2004 11:23 PM

    Get your points, but hope you can think twice regarding the following:

    My skill-sets..ready to take bigger challenges;

    regardless the local sales manager changing;

    sort of things which was in sales' scope; and

    I will assist Bob, the acting sales manager, negotiate with customers, in both con-call and onsite meeting.

  5. Takol November 24, 2004 12:00 AM

    果然兩岸的就業文化還是有挺大的差異存在。在台北,一般我們不太會主動爭取加薪,除非是公司有加薪政策,但是卻刻意忽略某人,這時比較積極者才會與主管面談,其他對自己沒有自信和做事情較為保守的就會心想算了。

    不過或許是因為大環境不同,台北高科技的工作機會多,所以通常我都是利用換老闆來幫自己加薪。我畢業工作十幾年,換了八到九間公司,不但擴展了自己所學和接觸的市場,也幫助自己以平均 15% 的成長率調高了薪資。

    有好有壞,供各位參考。

  6. 开心就好 November 24, 2004 02:10 PM

    我想知道结果如何了?老板approve了吗?如果Yes,我准备拿回去修改一下,发给我老板了:D

  7. 厚油静物 November 24, 2004 08:38 PM

    也是最讨厌宋江,先扬后抑这两本书总让我觉得有团棉花堵在胸腔,不能自由呼吸。可是历史和政治很少能让人舒服的完成一次呼吸。那么别扭着,时间向前。我们也向前,有多少不情不愿。

  8. doudou November 24, 2004 11:24 PM

    "My workload will be heavier than before since I will assist Bob, the acting sales manager, negotiate with customers, in both con-call and onsite meeting."

    You missed a "To" before "negotiate".
    "Meeting" should be "Meetings".
    There are grammar problems in your revised email.

    能纠正牛人的冬冬老有成就感的。:-D

  9. mvm November 24, 2004 11:53 PM

    nnd, 原先是用help的,后来改成了assist觉得更妥,便忘记了改后边,才让你抓到错的,哼哼

  10. mas November 25, 2004 03:15 AM

    呵呵,好像要么说 What's going on? 要么说 How are you doing?

  11. cg November 25, 2004 08:32 AM

    对啊,第一句就有问题的……what's going on?或者how's going? 吼吼
    这个,我觉得是跟找工作的难易度成正比的。亚洲机会多,可以跳来跳去来威胁。90年代high tech bubble的时候,北美也这样。但现在,工作很难找,往往把住了就再也不走了……但大公司也往往摆出自己的低turnover rate来吸引别人……

  12. iteem November 25, 2004 09:37 AM

    我觉得有语法问题是在所难免的,毕竟不是自己的母语,表达清楚意思就可以了,老外也是会谅解的。

    不过MVM的做法比较东方化一点,如果老板是亚洲人可能会比较容易接受。如果是西方人,那就是实打实的直说好了,你做了多少就应该值多少,没什么不好意思地……这大概也是东西方文化的差别,呵呵。

  13. 小却 November 27, 2004 06:56 AM

    这里面的Alice、Bob、Chris和Diana都是假名,熟悉密码学的应该很了解,

    我们实验室都改用Alice, Bob, Caccy,...了 ^_^

  14. yagni November 29, 2004 10:51 AM

    microsoft的风格,可能就是树立标准,要用一些其约定俗成的句子啦,推荐使用某些字体啦。可见mvm对这个还是很在行的。
    ibm这样的官僚地方,注重cc给的人也许要更加甚于你email的内容吧。
    其实谈加薪,与其发个可能被自动过滤掉的email,不如吃饭的时候敬杯酒来的实际。不知大家有没有同感。

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