Corporate Confidential – A Must Read for Every Professional

Six months ago, a friend recommended that I read “Corporate Confidential” by Cynthia Shapiro. She claimed it was one of the most influential books and a major source of inspiration for her own success.   I just started reading it last week, and now I can see why. I am floored by some of the secrets shared by Cynthia in this book.

Cynthia Shapiro is a former HR executive and in “Corporate Confidential”, she shares 50 secrets our company does not want us know and what we can do about them. Before reading this book, I thought to myself-”what can it tell me that I don’t know already?” I have worked with 20 different companies already. After 18 years working in Corporate America, I still didn’t realize the extent of how some of our rather innocent actions at work can be such silent career killers.

Although I have only finished reading about half of the book, I am compelled to tell you – This is a must read if you wish to improve to succeed in the corporate world. I am not in any way affiliated with this book. I am sharing it so you are empowered in your career and avoid unknowingly step on any career landmines. Here are five secrets I learned already that I didn’t know before.

1. “HR’s primary function is not to help employees.  It is to protect the company from its employees.”  This is a direct quote from the book.   I knew HR is not our friend but I had no idea that filing a grievance or complaint with hr could potentially be such a killer.  This even includes sexual harassment complaints. One of the biggest myths of HR that I even believed is that certain things we tell HR will remain confidential. Well, this is not true. You can read more examples and reasons in this book.
2. The law is never on our side – There may be a lot of employment laws out there but for the most part, none of them will really protect us. I used to think that if logically the employer is unfair to us, we can always sue. On the contrary, Shapiro explains the degree of layers in which a company is protected.  She goes on to say that for the most part, suing will just create a lot of heartache for the employee and damage their reputation without much likelihood of success.
3. Companies will absolutely discriminate based on age.  It is not however on your actual age, but really on the age you portray yourself to be.  Companies want to see future potential in all their employees. For example, if you are an older employee, and constantly talk about your health issues with your co-workers and your boss, the company will sideline you.  The biggest concern with older employees is whether or not their health will affect their longevity with the company. Consistently talking about every health issue you experience or appear to be sick a lot, you will be sidelined even if the company will not say it.  So, even if you are experiencing any issues, keep it to yourself unless sharing it is absolutely necessary. 
4. Your boss is your gatekeeper – treat them well.    Before reading this book, I used to think that if my boss was mistreating me, I could always calmly confront my boss with the evidence and stand up for myself.  I have now realized how much of a career killer that can be. According to Cynthia, you have two options if you are suffering from unfair treatment by an employer: a) Figure out ways to show your boss that you are in fact on his or her side, and are there to support his or her success OR b) Find another job. Standing up for yourself or going to HR with the complaints are actually slow career killers. If you take these latter routes, it may seem like your boss or HR is listening to you, but in reality, according to Cynthia, all they will really do is secretly plot ways to sideline you so that they can either legally lay you off, or wait until you quit out of frustration.
5. Keep your personal life private – Even good news can kill your career. Cynthia talks about a stellar performer who has been leading difficult projects and doing well. Excited about her recent engagement she begin talking about her wedding plans non-stop at work. Soon enough, management questioned whether she was still focused enough to take on tough projects, and unfortunately was passed on for a promotion that year.

These are just a few examples of what Cynthia shared that were eye opening for me. Although I may not believe that every company works the same way or practices all of the secrets that Cynthia shares, I still think it is very beneficial for all to read. We all need to know the company’s perspective and how they really view the employees. If something ever happened to you at work and you do not know why, reading this book will help you figure out what happened and what you can do differently next time.

The good news Cynthia shares is that “Companies have short memories.” Even if you read this book and realize you have unknowingly done some career limiting moves, it is not the end of your career.   They are fixable.  Once you are aware of these behaviors and understand why they are not in your best interest to continue, you can formulate strategies to cease those behaviors.

I look forward to finishing the rest of the book.  I hope you will take the time to read it. It will empower you to work smart and use your soft skills effectively to navigate your career advancement.

Your comments: What do you think of “Corporate Confidential”?  Do you believe the secrets Cynthia shares?  Leave your comments below and let’s have a discussion.

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I am always in your corner.

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