Delete? There is no Delete.

A few months ago, after a dedicated mentoring and improvement process, I terminated an employee who was not meeting performance expectations. I set the employee free to pursue other opportunities.

After “Stan” had packed up his desk and exited the office, I began working with IT to deal with his corporate email account.

I was shocked at the number of personal emails Stan received at work. No wonder he wasn’t performing! Stan was playing the stock market, reading blogs, editing his extensive photo gallery, and communicating with many different groups and organizations on a regular basis. It was quite clear why he never got any work done.

Everything you do on a business computer or office phone becomes company property. Deleting information does not necessarily cover your tracks. Before you surf the Web or use email for personal business, ask yourself, “Is this information I would want projected in the conference room, broadcast on the intercom system, or published on the cover of the monthly newsletter? If not, you better make sure it isn’t in your email inbox either.

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