In the book Corporate Confidential (Cynthia Shapiro) the author provides an outline of hazards that can kill a career, interesting ….

• Expense Reports: “Companies look very closely at how you choose to spend their money”
• Email: “Too many employees believe email is private, it is not .. employees are using email too casually”
• It is dangerous to do what your company says: Many companies preach life balance when they are actually saying “staying on top, staying ahead of the curve .. and putting needs of the company first – at all costs”
• Skills and talent aren’t what’s most important: “Even if you have the best skills in the company … no doors will be opened to you unless you gain the trust of those at the top. Trust is based on the company’s perception of you”
• There’s no right to free speech: “Employees are being quietly removed from their organization every day for speaking their minds ..”
• If you are in the wrong camp, you can be mistaken for the enemy: The “us versus them” scenario can be very damaging (Especially in the us (employees) versus them (corporate) scenario).

Some very interesting thoughts to consider. While each should be considered, they need not be obeyed .. but conscious understanding of the implications allows people to see and move around future pitfalls.

Also, a rather depressing view of business. One would hope that the company leadership build a more enlightened environment (or you should build it as the leader).