5 unspoken rules that can get you fired

(MoneyWatch) COMMENTARY I guess it's human to blab about things we shouldn't. But these days, privacy is a thing of the past. Whatever you write in an email or message, anything you say in a private or public conversation, can easily end up plastered all over the Internet.

Don't even get me started on social media sites like LinkedIn and Facebook. It's all fair game. Say or write the wrong thing and you can lose your job or destroy your career. It happens all the time.

Take the 45-minute instant message rant by Keith Block, Oracle's (ORCL) executive vice president for North America, about the company's hardware products, Oracle co-president Mark Hurd, and all sorts of other things that seemed to get under the the sales executive's skin.

10 things you should never say at work
10 things you should never do at work

The IM came out during an ongoing court case between Oracle and Hewlett-Packard (HPQ). Block had apparently been traveling for five weeks and was probably just passing the time on a flight by venting to Oracle's VP of human resources, Anje Dodson. Blowing off steam or not, Block said some things he shouldn't have, including a few about Hurd, who was CEO of HP before joining Oracle. Block wrote:

"he doesn't like to travel ... he likes to stay in the U.S. and rattle around ... lots of noise, not much results ... be a f----- global president"

"does it bug anybody else that every two weeks mark gets on a [forecast] call with all the evp directs or is it just me"

"not enough room for us both ... he should be a ceo"

And so on. You get the point.

Look, it doesn't matter how powerful or accomplished you are, or whether you're an assembly-line worker or a top executive. If you break certain unspoken rules, you can lose your job or ruin your career. Here are five such rules, most of which were broken by Block (who reportedly left Oracle yesterday.) Employees should never:

Bad-mouth the boss. You should never, ever bad-mouth the boss, or your peers, for that matter. Think people won't find out? You're wrong. Juicy stuff has a way of propagating. That's what happened to Allstate president Joe Lacher, who had some unsavory things to say about his boss, CEO Tom Wilson, at a company event last year. Two weeks later, Lacher was gone "effective immediately," according to a terse press release.

Put something in writing you wouldn't want posted on Yahoo's home page. It's hard to believe how often executives, managers, and employees document their stupidity by putting things they shouldn't in writing. Whether it's email, texts, IMs, or anything else that passes through a company server, it can be made public. Even deleting it doesn't make it go away --there's always a backup copy somewhere.

Disparage the company's products or customers. Especially if you're an executive, remember that anytime you're in public -- at a conference, in an airport, even on your own time -- you represent the company and that anyone with a cell phone can record you. The same goes for talking with the media, or anyone else who just might repeat what you have to say. People talk -- just like you do.

Assume private conversations will stay private. Your expectation of privacy is far more limited than you think. If you're at home talking with your family, you're probably okay. I say "probably" because, these days, you never know what your spouse or kid will post on the Web. Other than that, your privacy is so limited you may as well assume that whatever you say will end up on the front page of The Wall Street Journal. That may be sad, but it's good advice.

Get too social with social media. Last year, Bloomberg reported that Scott McClellan, a vice president who had spent his entire 26-year career at HP, tipped off competitors about previously undisclosed details of the company's cloud computing strategy on his LinkedIn profile. Shortly thereafter, he left the company. Coincidence? Maybe, but according to a Forrester Research survey, 82 percent of 150 companies that monitor social media are primarily searching for competitive intelligence. Go figure.

[jsargent100]

This is practically what me and my wife say to my daughter. Even though she is 11 when she grows up it will be easy for her to avoid a few obvious pit-falls of social media even before she starts using it.

[jsargent100]

By the way Steve....nice quick article getting right to the point.

[DebraFeldman-JobWhiz]

Hi Steve- You have covered the major bases and done this extremely well. One situation that may thwart even the most savvy and careful employee is when they are traveling and relying on the company account and devices for all their communication. My warning to JobWhiz clients is not to disparage, complain, boast, etc if using a corporate resource to keep in touch with friends and family.
It may be a hardship, or just a complication,but everyone must have a personal mobile device if they ever need to use one. (Unless you own the company and then it is a choice not a requirement,) keep your business and personal correspondence clearly divided. If you haven't already learned as the result of a recent job change, then be aware that it is really unwise to be dependent on your employer, even for a mobile phone, iPad, BB, etc. You need to have your own identity and the best way to develop that distinct from your corporate role and title is to communicate in your own voice. LinkedIn should be YOUR platform not the current ( and likely temporary or time limited) job title you hold. You have a reputation to build in today's changing and uber competitive job market. This means intentionally creating value and showing your knowledge as an independent player.

[gauravdp]

Hello Steve, I am a faceless anonymous drudge in the corporate factory . I enjoy reading your columns, though having worked for 20 years now, I don't agree with all of your views.

My comment relates to a particular point that you make:
"<Never> Disparage the company's products or customers."

While this may seem obvious to most this also raises an interesting point:

There are lots of companies that manufacture or market products used by general consumers (including the employees of those companies) in day to day life.

Does this premise of not disparaging the employer's products extend to the personal life of the employee? In other words, if I am a GM employee, what if I buy a Ford or Toyota WITH MY OWN MONEY and be seen driving it? What if I'm a Dell employee who uses a HP laptop for personal work? Am I required to use my employer's products for my personal use? What if Steve Ballmer is seen making a call to his family using an iPhone? Can using a competitor's products in personal life be seen as "disparaging the company's products or services"?

To put a twist to it, let's say, I owned a Toyota before starting to work at Ford. Once employed at Ford, am I obliged to buy a Ford-manufactured car for personal use?

Employing me, my employer can and does have a (reasonable) claim on my time. Does that claim extend to my money as well?

[stobak2]

If you agreed with all my views, I'd be worried.

Good question. The answer is it depends. Super high-visibility executives might think twice about it. When I was VP of marketing for a microprocessor company, my laptops had Intel (competitor) processors for the simple reason that nobody made a lightweight laptop with my company's processor. But if they had, yes, I would have bought one or it would have looked bad in customer meetings and press interviews.

If you're not that high-visibility, it shouldn't and probably doesn't matter. Then again, we're all at-will employees and companies can fire us for any reason. It is what it is.

ST

[tmittelstaed]

You can badmouth the boss all you want, just quit and go to work for a competitor first.

[jsargent100]

You competitor will see that you are a person who "bad mouths". Even if you are about to leave it is still not a good idea. Just maintain your level, go and people will respect you for being professional even if your boss might not care.

[satuvansanten]

Hi Steve, if your only comment is about a typo, you're onto a good thing. I truly believe that while much of what you write may well be common sense, but it is not common practice. Thanks for the reminder - it's good to keep ourselves in check every now and again, especially when the temptation to gossip about bosses is almost too hard to resist. Much appreciated!

[Viejita100]

Steve, I'm a big fan but I'd like to think these particular points would be obvious.

[stobak2]

If the senior execs sited in the article can fall victim, so can anyone. Not so obvious, I guess.

ST

[Good_Mouth_Geo]

Bad-mouth the boss - Then in that case the boss should have an edge of excellence of performance and give no lee-way to have him bad-mouthed, or this article directed to cow down subordinated staff - in this World of ignorance or arrogance?

Tell me a'bout it, another phony management style to plaster around, uh,,

[Good_Mouth_Geo]

Corrected to read 'in this World of ignorance or arrogance?'

[Good_Mouth_Geo]

Bad-mouth the boss - Then in that case the boss should have an edge of excellence of performance and give no lee-way to have him bad-mouthed, or this article directed to cow down subordinated staff - in this World of ignorance or arrogance.

Tell me about another phony management style to plaster around, uh,,

[janineplace]

"You're expectation of privacy"

--U NEEDS EDITORZ LOLS

[stobak2]

Is it good or bad when the only comment is about a typo?

ST