Manager-Employee Miscommunication
I play a lot of word games. Boggle, Scrabble, Word Thief, Quiddler, Perquackey, etc…
So I pay a fair amount of attention to how words are formed, and how I can make them longer to score more points.
That’s how this cartoon came about. I was brainstorming gags, wrote the word “seminar,” and almost immediately my brain threw on a “y.”
I wonder how the IRS would feel about Boggle as a write off?
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About: Mark Anderson’s cartoons appear in publications including The Wall Street Journal and Harvard Business Review. Anderson is the creator of the popular cartoon website, Andertoons.com, where he licenses his cartoons for presentations, newsletters and other projects. He blogs at Andertoons Cartoon blog.
October 3rd, 2008 at 9:03 am
Another really funny one! I’m starting to look forward to Fridays even more just so I can see what your next cartoon will be. This one just proves how easy it is to make mistakes just by not communicating clearly enough.
October 3rd, 2008 at 10:24 am
Haha, this one took me a while…as I didn’t notice the clothing the employee was wearing right away. Very subtle, but I definitely cracked a smile when I finally “got it”!
October 4th, 2008 at 8:04 pm
Mark: Have you got a response from the IRS yet?!
It took me some time before I got the joke… 
The guy in the chair is dressed for a seminary session.
October 5th, 2008 at 8:02 am
Awesome one, I just had something similar happen in my office although not to the seminary. I can relate…
Stuart R. Crawford
Calgary, AB
http://blog/itsuccessmentor.com
October 6th, 2008 at 8:47 am
Hi, Mark.
Or to anyone, I would like to ask what does this cartoon implies? I’m sorry if at this moment I can’t grab what Mark wanted to convey.
October 6th, 2008 at 8:58 am
Bianca,
If you add an “y” to seminar you get a seminary. The person in the chair has a priest outfit with a white collar.
From Answers.com - http://www.answers.com/seminary
1. A school, especially a theological school for the training of priests, ministers, or rabbis.
2. A school of higher education, especially a private school for girls.
I prefer to attend Aristotle’s school, Lyceum. Does your last name have a connection to Thomas Aquinas?
October 7th, 2008 at 4:54 am
Ooh I see. Thanks Martin.
October 7th, 2008 at 8:16 am
Bianca,
You are welcome!
October 10th, 2008 at 9:16 am
Well, if these guys get into a fight, no worries. I’m sure the seminary fellow will forgive his boss. Hee hee.