Employee Seeking Promotion Pillows

'You're very ambitious, and that makes me uneasy.'

"You've got your corner office, so what more do you want?"

'I hope you're not threatened by powerful women, because you're fired.'

'I'll be late for dinner, dear. I'm up to my neck in paperwork.'

"Well, ordinary men have colleagues. Successful men have victims."

'Let's not go by the book.'

'Finally! A meeting with one of the bigwigs.'

I hope a starting salary of 80 and a severance of 12 is acceptable....

'You could be a constant inspiration for us to come up with a plan to get a leg up on our competition...you're hired!'

In basket-case.

"It's clear to me that you want to go far with this company."

So which rung are you on my corporate ladder?

Others will fight for you

A fight in the Boardroom.

'I'll make my final decision on that promotion of yours, after this game.'

"Why can't the rest of you be more like Rollins, here? He does his homework!"

Businessman on stilts: 'I had to step over a lot of people to get where I am today.'

'Don't think of it as being a yes man, think of it as being an employed man.'

"You've proven your worth a hundred times over. Let's try for a thousand."

Business books - Who's Who & Who's Downsized sections.

Things-to-do-today: Daily workboxes piled up on desk.

"Helen brings home our second, third and fourth incomes."

'Well, now that I know he's the owner's son, yes, he's the best damned wine steward I've ever seen.'

Reach for the Star.

"So, tell me a little bit more about this house training you mention on your CV."

'Take two tablets the moment you begin to feel indispensable.'

The MBA Draft

"I don't care if you are the Immediate Gratification Generation. Get out of my chair and back to the mailroom."

'I like the way you handle responsibility, McWit, so I'm going to blame some stuff on you.'

Areas of the Body Where Stress Can Manifest

"Hey, you stick your neck out on a regular basis, it's gonna happen. The important thing is to just get up and keep moving forward."

'Take a few days off. Suck some necks ...'

"We're a very small international conglomerate."

'I clawed my way to the top and then I clawed my way back to the middle.'

"Well the good news is that after the reorganisation you'll be leading the team."