The Request
Today, I received an e-mail from my manager with an URL and the following typed in the subject line:

pls print, staple / hole punch

So, I printed the article, stapled and punched holes in it and put it in a binder thinking why would he want me to staple it if it's going in a binder? Anyhow, I set it on his chair and about one hour later, Patrick returns from his meeting.

"What's this?" He's holding up the binder.

"The article you asked me to print," I reply.

"How come it's in a binder?

"Because you asked for me to staple and punch holes in it. I figured you wanted it in a binder."

"Nooo," he says, "that's not what I asked. I asked you to staple it."

"Patrick," I say. "you asked me staple and punch holes in it."

"That's not what I asked," he repeats to me.

"Here, let me see the e-mail that I sent," he says. So, I so show him the message he sent to me.

"See?" he says. "There it is," he points to the subject line. He goes on: "If the article is short with a few pages, just staple it; otherwise, if it's too thick, punch holes in it and put it in a binder."

pls print, staple / hole punch

At this point, I'm thinking, "Great. He expects me to read what he meant, not what he typed!"

"One day," He says as he leaves my cube with the article in hand. "we'll understand each other."

"Well sure," I think to myself. "just as soon as you learn to MAKE SENSE!"