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Great post. Sometimes people need a nice reminder that their actions do hold accountability. Hell, people need this reminder when at company functions. I have seen people quit their jobs because of what happened at a company function.
So true - I had a friend who had won a fabulous summer internship and was running late, but didn't want to appear lazy for it. In a desperate attempt to save time he cut off someone in the parking lot, admitted to stealing her spot, then scurried into work. Yeah, that woman was one of the senior partners. Not a good move.
Dan - I noticed as I was coming up with examples that those who treat their fellow man with respect are far less likely to encounter a problem.
Theo - Not wanting it to be a potential problem does not make it any less of a problem. Also, I wonder how you would feel about less socially acceptable actions? Would you see the courage and bravery in them? I do hope that Gen X and Y can make changes in this area but we're still a far from it.
Ann - That's a great point. Life is easier in general when you work for a company with similar value systems.
I agree that it's important to think carefully about how your actions outside of work may reflect on how you will be perceived at work. I think that's why we each should be careful to behave in ways that our reflect our true selves. And we should select an employer that supports that reflection. For example, my employer is very supportive of diversity and inclusion -- it's part of our culture. So when I'm dancing at a Latin concert or marching in a Martin Luther King Day parade, I'm confident that if I'm spotted it will be considered positive. If I didn't believe that, I'd be thinking about working somewhere else.
I have a bunch of mixed feelings here. On the one hand, yes, everything you do influences, or has the possibility of influencing everything else. Anyone who thinks otherwise isn't paying much attention to the world. On the other hand, my employer pays me to do a job. Unless my actions outside of work have a direct impact upon my job and my ability to perform that job, then it's none of my jobs business.
I'm extremely open about who I am and how I live my life. I don't lie or deceive my employer about who they've hired. I don't have anything to hide. I know that other people do, and if they're trying to hide it you're right, they shouldn't be doing it in public.
The President of a company is a public figure. His actions can reflect upon a company. That said, a company should hold him accountable to actions that are illegal or damage the company in a tangible way.
All of that said, I think it's foolish to live your life in fear. Ask yourself why you hide some things behind closed doors. Why don't you want the world to know some things about you? Is it Shame? Fear of Judgment? Whatever it is, don't let yourself be forced into the shadows. One of the beauties of Gen Y is that in general, we have the courage and strength to demand that our lives be whole. Work/Life balance is a stalking horse used by major corporations to make slaves and automatons. Be yourself thoroughly.
This is a very important post. I hope a lot of people take this advice because no company is going to take care of you and what you outside of work defines more of who you are than within.
While I agree with the representation of an employer part, what employees do on their own time outside of work is their own business. As long as you are not trashing your employer or negatively representing your employer, what you do on your own time is your business and no one else's.
Too many employers hang this notion of "you'll be fired" or "you'll be disciplined" in the workplace for things done outside the workplace. What a Crock!! Employers do not own employees. Employees trade their time and talent for a paycheck, plain and simple. Unless you live in a really small town where everyone knows everyone, or you're in a very high profile job, what you do on your own time is your business.
Lately, schools have gotten into this fray also. They think they can control a students' actions outside the classroom or off campus. Unless your are an athlete or in some other way represent your school publicly, what you do outside the school time/grounds/property is none of the school's business. Disciplinary action at school for things done outside the school grounds or not at school sponsored events is way out of line and beyond the reach of the school.
Too many times people are bullied by some institution to act a certain way or refrain from acting a certain by fear of intimidation. When institutions are allowed, and even encouraged by the legal process to act in this manner, privacy rights and civil liberties of generations past are effectively ignored or even squashed.
Work and things done outside work should be separate. The more we blur the lines between this the more we lose our personal freedom.
Such a topic is similar to those who stay off of Facebook because they are afraid that their bosses or coworkers would see them in embarrassing action.
First of all, yes, facebook is private - but the fact is that if you can't be yourself, Imelda is right, you should not be working for a company which you are scared of.
Clearly if you work for a conservative company you need to decide if you belong there or not. Or, seek change in the company itself - the more difficult move.
You mention being more then 50 miles away, if I am in Ireland, Italy, Bulgaria, or any other country I will almost always run into someone who is familiar with the company I work for (the company is family owned with under 2000 employees but dealers around the world) and it always gets back to my manager somehow.
In our culture we live to work and it is hard for people to have a life completely disassociated with their job.
I don't believe that this post is entirely the case for everyone though. If the mailman at the global headquarters for IBM is drunk at the bar and offends me I will not stop buying their products, but if I am dealing with a smaller company, or a person of high power at a larger company, and the employee shows a bad character I will start to doubt the companies competency. With smaller companies there is a more personal relationship between the customers and employees and how the employee carries oneself on and off the clock really reflects on their character and therefore the character of the company. There was a smaller company which I invested in for a while, until I read a report that the company did not meet projected profits at the end of the quarter and was going to be cutting back on jobs and then I saw the CFO living it up at the bar and throwing around money like they had a printing press out back. I sold my shares the company later filed for bankruptcy.
I do believe that this post is entirely true for college students who are leaders in their organizations. Many college students don't believe this, when one is an officer of an organization and they go to parties and get belligerent, or offend people, or burn bridges which the organization has spent years building it affects the entire organization even if the showing or this sub par character didn't occur at an event the organization sponsored. The actions of that individual outside the organization reflect on the entire organization.
Rachel, I mentioned that there's more to life than work because, to me, the post had a sense that the career was the overarching framework to one's life and that every part of yourself should conform to the idea of bettering one's career. From your last comment to imelda, I believe this was not your intent.
I still find the idea of constantly being aware of how my actions might possibly affect my work life to be a little over zealous, and the tactic is likely to fail over time anyway.
To me, it makes more sense to know what my values are and act in ways consistent with those values. If something becomes an issue, then I've opened up a discussion, and if that discussion leads me to the realization that I'm not in the right place or that I need to address a personal issue, then that's a good thing.
Rachel, everyone fighting an unjust system has been called idealistic. Luckily, everyone is not as cowed as you are.
Prejudice thrives in the workplace. When did I ever imply that it doesn't? However, if your boss's prejudice keeps you from advocating for the basic civil rights of others, than you've sold your soul for that job.
I believe you have missed my point entirely. Yes, being outed could ruin your career with a homophobic boss. Do you really want to continue working to improve that boss's bottom line? Do you want it so much that you're willing to sacrifice your own morality? (which is exactly what you're advocating--no one would go to a gay pride parade if it didn't fit in with their morals)
Many gays live in constant fear of discovery and rejection in this country. If they followed your advice, they would all remain in the closet, frightened into hiding a basic part of themselves. No one would come out, and homosexuality would never become an accepted part of our reality.
Luckily, there have always been people willing to brave the consequences for the sake of defending human rights.
Rachel, I'll repeat what I said before--you blog about careers. If you gain any success at all, people will be turning to you for advice. It's your responsibility to consider a picture bigger than your own particular niche, and to admit when something is more important than the topic your blog happens to focus on. I would be very, very sorry to see people follow this piece of advice.
Rachel, I agree with you that anything one does in public could affect my work, and would even take it further to say that it could affect any other part of my life. And I agree that it pays to be mindful of who you are being and what you are doing, especially in a public setting.
But I also have to agree with theo and imelda. There's definitely more to life than your career, and by focusing on how your actions affect your career you will end up missing out on a lot of it, and - as imelda stated - you may end up selling your soul. In fact, fact I would argue that constant evaluation of risk will stifle your career as you constantly take the "safe" path outside of work, and don't dare to explore your full range of possibilities.
I remember reading a post at the original Brazen Careerist blog about how being nice can help your career. That post concentrated on the workplace, but I think the same elements are at play outside of the workplace and can lead to the same benefits. I think that is is a better strategy to employee than to try to figure out how each of your actions will affect you in the workplace, although obviously some actions will have readily apparent consequences which you should probably take into consideration.
Imelda - You keep missing the point. All I am saying is that people need to be aware. What they chose to do is up to them. Since, I'm not in their position I'm not going to judge them either way in their decision. It's easy to say "If it were me I'd do this..." however that isn't being open to accepting differences.
Will - As I said in a comment before, some of it really just comes down to being a responsible kind person.
As for your comment that our life is more than our careers. I question what your life would be like without your career? Work is unavoidable (unless you hit the lottery) which is why I think where you chose to work is very important.
Imelda - You're idealistic. Sadly the word is not as open as you are. I have seen homophobia in action in the workplace. I have friends who were not promoted solely on the basis of their sexuality (they were flat out told). Many people still live in the closet and going to a gay pride parade could ruin their career.
Kiersten - I do not expect employees to act like they are on the clock all the time. I expect them to realize that what they do outside of the workplace can affect them within the workplace and to be mindful of their actions.
I think you've made some good points here. My caution is that if people truly act as if they're "on the clock" all the time, it could create a level of difficulty when it comes to spontaneous networking "off the clock". I've met some of the most amazing people doing things that I would never do with my co-workers. At the end of the day people are just people. And they appreciate geniune conversation.
I absolutely agree with Imelda. The employee's job is to be the best version of themselves--not necessarily their bosses'/peer's image of what they should be. I manage close to 200 people, and I do not hold their outside life against any of my employees.
Now as a manager, I have a huge perception to manage so I am more careful than the average bear, but I still do not live my life in fear.
I don't wish to criticize too hard, but I cannot let the "gay pride" comment go by. You are encouraging cowardice. Forty years ago would you have encouraged people not to march with MLK in case their bosses saw them on TV? Cowardly. I should hope that any career blog would consider some things, like basic civil rights, more important than personal image. You might want to rethink that.
Milena - That is a great cautionary tale!
Matt - I'll never understand why people think they're outside of work at company functions. Sure you may not be on company grounds or being paid but your relationships with these people does not change depending on the clock or location.
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