Work Rogue, WashingtonPost.com

ROGUEworkers
Whoops! Committed an at-work blunder? In this feature, we'll recount some well-publicized career gaffes, then talk to Stephen Viscusi, CEO of New York recruitment firm The Viscusi Group, about how to keep similar mistakes from ruining your career. And since selling the movie rights to your story is the ultimate American recovery tactic, we asked film and television director Julian Petrillo to discuss the potential Hollywood demand for such career-killer tales. -- By Stephanie Beer, washingtonpost.com Staff Writer
REVELATION OF RESUME LIE
He never claimed to be a saint, though he did make up a theology degree. Former Radio Shack CEO David J. Edmondson's resume said he had a degree from Heartland Baptist Bible College, a falsehood that went unchallenged as his career marched forward. Edmondson resigned when a newspaper uncovered his degree deceit earlier this year.
"Don't have a degree? Emphasize practical work experience, and avoid drawing attention to holes in your resume. Also, accentuate strengths such as diversity of work experiences and list courses you have taken. Though an employer may prefer that a degree has been conferred, they may be willing to foot the bill for a great candidate to finish college."

But what [stories like these] really need to send them into the box office stratosphere is an appeal to another deeply American trait: the desire for revenge. It's not enough to see the man at the press conference lectern, contritely confessing his misdeeds in hushed tones; a compelling movie of Edmondson's life would best end as he strolls off into a jumpsuit-clad sunset, with a prison gate slamming shut in the foreground of the last shot.

FROZEN ASSETS
U.S. Rep. William J. Jefferson (D-La.) is under investigation for bribery, having been caught on film accepting $100,000 from an FBI informant at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Arlington, Va. last summer. Agents later found $90,000 of the cash in his home freezer.Viscusi suggests: "If the alleged charges against Jefferson are found by a court to be true, then his career should be put on ice just like the cash. Debt and malfeasance may also get you promptly impeached from a private sector position. It can be difficult to mitigate a poor credit record, since employers view it as a weakness and a distraction.
"As far as wrongdoing, if you get caught with your hand in the cookie jar or petty cash apologize and beg for forgiveness. Do not quit, but wait to be fired. Resigning exempts you from gathering unemployment benefits or to sue later. Keep your credit clean and 'CYA', or cover your assets, as we say in the business."

"Ninety thousand dollars in cold cash isn't something most of us keep in our freezer. Still, adding a nicely preserved dead body alongside the Benjamins would have made the story into something a screenwriter could really sink some teeth into."

FALSE CLAIMS OF CLONE
Disgraced scientist Hwang Woo-suk is standing trial in Seoul in connection with charges that he and his resaerch team fraudulently announced the cloning of human embryonic stem cells, claims that excited the research community and the world. He denies faking data; if convicted, he and five other colleagues face prison sentences.
"Trust is the basis of many professional interactions. Violating that undermines social your capital and can tarnish a stellar career. Apologizing and making efforts to alleviate harm should be your first move."


REINING IN HUBRIS
For John Meriwether, founder of the infamous Long-Term Capital Management hedge fund, financial leverage and basis points were a recipe for wealth. The reclusive wizard of the bond market bet big on derivatives for the fund, destabilizing exchange rates around the world in mid-1998 when he misjudged the market. The Federal Reserve had to step in and mitigate the effects of the fund's high-flying gamble.

"Meriwether's story might have some interest in the fall-from-grace genre, but the audience might tune out if there wasn't anything more to it than some risky investing gone bad."

YOU CAN'T DO THAT ON TELEVISION
When State Department press aide Emily Miller decided "Meet The Press" host Tim Russert had spent enough time discussing the war in Iraq with former Secretary of State Colin Powell during a May 2004 recording session, she jumped on camera to declare the interview over. Russert was incensed, declaring "I don't think that's appropriate"; so was Miller's boss, who admonished her on the air.
"Acting inappropriately, however, or acting above your position can be seen as insolence. Also, protecting your boss has its limits and does not apply to indiscretions that you deem unprofessional, or that are generally considered illegal."

"The same could be said for 'Brokeback.' Gay cowboys were the talk of the town for about 10 minutes, and then we all went back to doing what we were doing before the movie came out. A partisan shot at a minor government official stands little chance of resonating if there is nothing in the story that makes for higher stakes."

VERY PERSONAL COMPUTER
Ex-Capitol Hill staffer and part-time blogger Jessica Cutler wrote prolifically about her sex life, documenting her encounters with defamatory flare. When her online diary was discovered, she was summarily dismissed from her with U.S. Sen. Mike DeWine (R-Ohio) for inappropriate use of office equipment.

"Also, realize that what is written online can be downloaded at work by your boss; if it involves work-related issues, it may be viewed as a dismissible offense. Cutler acted with naiveté, but also with a certain made-for-TV savvy. I may not have a job for her, although I may have a date for her."


DISHONOR CODE
"How Opal Mehta Got Kissed, Got Wild, and Got a Life," the novel written by Harvard student Kaavya Viswanathan and published by Alloy Entertainment was withdrawn from shelves for its plagiarized passages. Viswanathan, the 18-year-old author, borrowed from other works of the same genre. When intrepid readers unearthed the similarities to another author's, her book deal was rescinded and "Opal" was yanked from shelves.

"But taking another's ideas for your own is stealing. For those who are rightfully held to a higher standard, such as journalists and writers, plagiarism is in violation of their professional ethics. Nevertheless, in the business world ideas are oftentimes the result of a collaborative process -- how's that for business culture relativism? Take credit for your work in a group, otherwise someone else will in today's cutthroat marketplace of jobs and ideas."

"Unlike the written media, a moving picture sequence can't be Googled. If you come up with something clever that's a twist on something done before, you can't be held accountable in the same way as an elected official or writer. Kaavya's story might interest some for its neophyte's-fall-from appeal, but without something else at stake, like a scholarship or a parent's approval, there is not enough to captivate a crowd."

SLURRING HIS WORDS
Radio host David Lenihan called Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice a "coon" on air. His explanation: As he was discussing her prospects as NFL commissioner, he ran the words "coup" and "NFL" together. This utterance occurred twice, unfortunately, and Lenihan lost his job. (He has since found work on another station.).jpg)
"Workers should be conscious of even seemingly tame statements in the workplace. The soapbox should be kept at home. Uneducated or bigoted comments set a toxic tone at work that can preclude collaboration and can upset collegiality."
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"Although I know nothing about him, Lenihan sounds like another inflammatory voice on the dial. I think the screenplay of his life would need a compelling third-act A-bomb … like the shocking discovery of his digital fingerprints in [unsavory] online chatrooms."

EDITORIAL ETHICS
Former Harvard Business Review Editor Suzy Wetlaufer's journalistic integrity came under scrutiny when her affair with interview subject Jack Welch, then Chairman and CEO of General Electric, was revealed. HBR was sent reeling by the chatter of the affair involving its star editor and the prominent business leader, and Wetlaufer was forced out for mixing her relationship with her work.
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"You may think of it like a free match.com, but use it as such with discretion. Work romances may be awkward for co-workers, displeasing to higher-ups and just plain wrong if one of the office Romeos or Juliets is married. Prioritize your professional responsibilities on the job, and do not use e-mail."
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"Infamous e-mail messages from former Enron CEO Jeffrey K. Skilling about taking the money of the little old ladies in California, or of disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff about making off with gobs of dough from Indian 'savages' remind us of real human hubris that makes the fall from grace even harder to tear one's eyes away from."

ON THE JOB DRINKING
ESPN analyst and former Chicago Cubs pitcher Rick Sutcliffe dropped into the announcers' booth at PETCO Park in May. In the middle of a San Diego Padres game, he put on his headphones to say hello. Seemingly drunk, a slurred, rambling monologue having nothing to do with the game followed. Attentive national news outlets aired the clip, underscoring the importance of clean, professional behavior in the communication age.
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WHISTLE WHILE YOU WORK
Tattling isn't necessarily bad, but it can be risky. In an August 2001 memo, Enron's Sherron Watkins reported concerns about the company's accounting to founder Ken Lay, She was decried by some as a purveyor of office gossip, but her words were resuscitated for the trial of Lay and Jeffrey Skilling. Their convictions for conspiracy and fraud redeemed Watkins.
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GETTING OVER EXPOSURE
The idea that any publicity is good publicity applies to politics and actors alike, but maybe not to Charlie Sheen or other common Google victims. Sheen's recent divorce has brought to the fore his staple of strippers and prostitutes, and tabloids have allowed the public to devour tales of his relations with Heidi Fleiss's girls.
"There are steps you can take to ensure your privacy. Limit your personal divulgences at work, and do not treat your co-workers as confidants. If the personal becomes public, conduct your own public relations campaign by addressing the issue and putting it to rest so that you can get on with being a professional."
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"Also, bad boys who are handsome celebrities will always create work for themselves around that persona, unlike the mid-level staffer or the whistle-blowing rank and file employee."