Don't Fire Yourself!

Proverbs 21:23
He who guards his mouth and his tongue
keeps himself from calamity.


Its no secret that unemployment is at a high these days. Even those "secure" government jobs that we all believed were untouchable during any signs of economic crisis are laying thousands of people off each week. This is a time when we have to bring our "A" game forward in the workplace. We must show employers that we are serious about giving 110% and are truly one of their most valuable assets.


Is it possible to show our worth, however, when we are consumed in workplace gossip, complaining about our boss to everyone and comparing salaries with our co-workers? I'd say probably not! I read a post on one of my favorite blogs yesterday entitled 13 Things Not to Share with Your Co-Workers. In it, the blogger, David, adds a little commentary on a list he found somewhere else, as well. I'll share a couple with you hear:

• GOSSIP - NEVER EVER GOSSIP IN THE WORKPLACE! I cannot stress this
  enough. First, there is no such thing as a secret in the office. That juicy secret that you only meant to tell one person will make its way around to everyone before you even get back to your cubicle. It’s not fair to others, it's messy and it’s dangerous to do. Depending on the situation, gossip could be considered harassment or illegal. Even if it’s just out of self-preservation, stay away from gossip.

• WORK COMPLAINTS - Almost everyone has to have a job. Complaining about it won’t make it any better. It can hurt morale, and offend others in the office (especially supervisors). If you have a serious gripe, address it through the proper channels. If not, just grin and bear it.

• INTIMATE DETAILS - Your almost always better off keeping your professional
  life separate from your personal life. Don’t share any intimate details about what you and your husband do after you tuck the kids in. TMI! You could quickly become a topic of gossip, or even worse, people may try to find a way to use your personal details against you.

• BLOGS OR SOCIAL NETWORKING PROFILES - ANOTHER ONE I CANNOT EMPHASIZE MORE STRONGLY! Nothing good can ever come out of sharing your Facebook or social network profiles with others. Chances are, you’ll end up sharing something not work appropriate with others. Those pictures from the night you went out and got really drunk? The inappropriate inside joke that your friend wrote on your wall? Everyone will see it. I cannot believe how many people I see sharing inappropriate (and possibly offensive) information with co-workers. This is a recipe for disaster. Even worse? I know a lot of people who regularly check Facebook at work. This is doubly damaging. Not only will you look unprofessional, but your co-workers will be able to track your whereabouts by looking at your Facebook profile. Do you really want them to see how many times you wrote on someone’s wall when you were supposed to be working?

One of my mentors, George Thompson, said once that his father told him that he never had to fire people because they always fired themselves. After owning my own business for four years, I saw exactly what he meant by that. This list is only an introduction to some of the things we should totally avoid doing in the workplace. Not just when times are hard and we're in greater jeopardy of losing our jobs, but always. We should always want our reputations to be that of excellence - not the person who's just around to watch the clock and collect a paycheck! This is practical workplace wisdom that I hope you can benefit from and apply in your lives.

Seek Wisdom, Find Wealth & Be Blessed!