The following article is from MSN Careers and uses some celebrity slip-ups as lessons to better yourself in the workplace.
Celebrity Slip-Ups: Five Career Lessons
By Laura Morsch, CareerBuilder.com
OK, so you accidentally hit reply-all and now the entire department knows the steamy story of your tryst last night with the cable guy. To make matters worse, your less-than-professional language as you frantically tried to recall the message only drew attention to your dilemma. Still, you know you’ll somehow overcome the humiliation.
Celebrities aren’t always so lucky.
With the paparazzi documenting their every move, celebrities’ mishaps can easily explode into the national spotlight and seriously damage their careers.
The upside for you — aside from fodder for your favorite gossip blog — is that you can apply the lessons from celebrities’ mishaps to avoid wrecking your own career.
The blunder: Lindsay Lohan’s public scolding
While shooting the film “Georgia Rule” in 2006, Lindsay Lohan visited the hospital to seek treatment for dehydration. But the Smoking Gun reported that James G. Robinson, who heads the firm that produced the movie, sent Lohan a scathing letter blaming her off-set partying as the real cause of her dehydration and blasting her behavior. The letter was picked up by the mainstream media, causing Lohan professional embarrassment.
Lesson: The professional world is smaller than you think. When you display poor behavior at one company or leave dramatically, word can easily reach other employers and put the brakes on your job search.
The blunder: Tom Cruise’s couch jumping
In 2005, Tom Cruise became the object of public ridicule after he jumped atop a couch on the Oprah Winfrey Show to profess his love for his now-fiancée, Katie Holmes. Last summer, Paramount Pictures ended its 14-year relationship with the star, and many blame the split on Cruise’s very public relationship, embracing of Scientology and blasting of psychiatry.
Lesson: How you behave outside of work matters. You may think that what you do on the weekends is your own business, but your off-duty antics can still hold consequences. For example, when your boss sees you out on dancing atop a bar on Saturday night, he might be less likely to choose you for that business trip Monday morning.
The blunder: Dan Rather’s “Memogate”
Two months before 2004’s presidential election, news anchor Dan Rather came under fire for a report aired on CBS’s “60 Minutes Wednesday.” The report presented documents that were critical of President George W. Bush’s service in the Texas Air National Guard.
Almost immediately, critics on both sides of the political spectrum questioned the authenticity of the documents, and CBS was forced to issue an embarrassing admission that the network had not properly authenticated the papers. Amid pressure to step down, Rather resigned as anchor of the network’s nightly news in March 2005 and left the network completely in June 2006.
Lesson: Check your facts and pay close attention to detail. Accuracy is crucial in almost all professions, and one incorrect number or false statement can throw an entire project off track, derailing your career in the process.
The blunder: Janet Jackson’s “Wardrobe Malfunction.”
Janet Jackson made international headlines for her halftime show at the Super Bowl in 2004. As she wrapped up a song with Justin Timberlake, he pulled on a part of her costume and revealed her bare breast on live TV. The public exposure resulted in a hefty fine for CBS, which broadcast the game, as well as increased FCC scrutiny across the broadcast sphere.
Lesson: While your own wardrobe mistakes might not carry the same impact as Jackson’s, what you wear — and how you wear it — can definitely affect how you’re perceived in the workplace. No matter how casual your dress code may be, keep your wardrobe professional — that means no wrinkles, stains or excess skin.
The blunder: Ashlee Simpson’s SNL appearance
Ashlee Simpson was scheduled to perform two songs on Saturday Night Live in 2004. She performed one without incident, but when the wrong track started for her second song, viewers heard Simpson’s voice before she raised her microphone to her mouth — revealing she had been lip synching. Simpson’s camp promptly issued an acid reflux-induced explanation, but the event still dogs her reputation.
Lesson: Don’t cut corners. Whether you’re tempted to plagiarize, ignore an e-mail or take credit for an underling’s work, remember that once you get caught, you’ll forever compromise your status.
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