How I Used My Literacy Skills to Excel at Work
Don Denis
Western Governors University

How I Used My Literacy Skills to Excel at Work
The merger went through and we were finally in the big leagues. The new parent corporation is a multi-national multi-billion dollar leader in our markets. During the transition there were a lot of changes, including a new manager, a broader business focus and the introduction of the “dreaded” annual self evaluation and review. I used my literacy skills to write a meticulous and ingratiating appraisal of myself knowing it was not only important for a good pay increase, but would set the tone for a promising relationship with my new boss and distinguish me from my peers.
Annual pay raises are awarded based on a merit system. This means the goals established at the beginning of the year must be accomplished by the conclusion of the ratings period in order for an employee to qualify for a pay increase. I used my writing ability, to highlight the goals I met, while downplaying the negative or neutral results on targets that I barely reached. I incorporated favorable customer testimonials and positive employee comments into the results. I expounded on the excellent, shriveled the undesirable and propped up the mediocre. With the application of some subtle formatting ploys, the finished document was strong evidence of my accomplishments and worth, certainly deserving of a significant addition to my salary.
My manager critiqued the appraisal, responded to my remarks and wrote his own observations. When he finished, he scheduled a meeting to discuss the completed review. I arrived on time for the discussion. I sat down, my boss smiled as he handed me the evaluation. He said “I’ve saved your review for last”. I wasn’t sure what to make of his comment. I didn’t know him well enough to gauge his intentions, but after reading