by Race in the Workplace special correspondent Erica Mauter

What Do Aks and Wiff Say About You? - DiversityInc.com
“When I’m interviewing professional candidates for organization-critical, high-visibility positions, I expect those interactions to be dynamic and of the highest caliber (and that includes articulation and enunciation). Why, then, am I no longer surprised when an applicant I can tell to be black (by name, alma mater, associations listed on the résumé, or-believe it or not-voice/use-of-voice) says the dreaded ‘aks’ instead of ‘ask’? Or ‘wiff’ instead of ‘with’? … I usually find myself wanting to give these candidates some constructive feedback, to turn them on to the consequences of this foolish behavior of slaughtering the English language. These behaviors perpetuate stereotypes and fuel the undying flames of racism in ‘corporate America.’ I feel privileged holding open a door of opportunity for so many people, and I’m saddened when I have to block the entrance because so many people think it’s ‘cool’ or acceptable to sound stupid.” Also, reader feedback.

Learning From a Demotion - On the Job
“Let the boss know that you’re interested in focusing on the problems and fixing them. It could be the boss will tell you that i