Beware of Our Own "Hot Mic" Moments. They Can Be Career Killers.

The office watercooler conversation all over America today is probably making MSNBC's Chris Matthews cringe, unless he subscribes to the "any publicity is good publicity" theory.  

ICYMI, the cringe-worthy moment occurred this week during live coverage of primary results.  Up to the podium walk Donald and Melania Trump, but despite his knockout-punch victory, it's not The Donald with whom Matthews is fixated.  It's Melania. Brian Williams is doing the live play-by-play and suddenly viewers hear Matthews, unaware that his mic is on, verbally drooling over Mrs. Trump:  “Did you see her walk? Runway walk. My God, is that good.”  

I guess he could try to blame getting off-air and on-air remarks "conflated" on the fact that he was working with Brian Williams.  They call these episodes "hot mic" moments, and rightfully so, because almost always the offender gets scorched.  

You're not a television personality you say?  A microphone never makes it way near you?  That's great, but Chris Matthews' dirty-old-man moment serves as a cautionary tale for many of us, because realize it or not, we all have potential hot mic moments in our everyday jobs.

Have you ever been early to a client meeting where you sit in an empty conference room waiting for your hosts?  Given all the technology built into conference rooms these days (the walls literally have ears) that's a hot mic moment waiting to happen.  Probably best not to say anything that you wouldn't feel totally comfortable saying to the prospective client's face.

When you're in another company's office, you also don't want to get careless when stepping out of the room to take an urgent call on your cell.  Many an employee, strategically seated right outside the conference room, has scored points with management by providing intel on portions of the overheard conversation that might provide leverage in an ongoing negotiation.

Same goes for the elevator ride down after the meeting.  At my company, we have a firm policy of never starting a debrief about the just-concluded meeting until we are either in a taxi driving away or back in our offices.  Absolutely no elevator talk in the client's building!  Even going to a nearby restaurant and talking freely in a booth is asking for trouble.  How do you know that the person whose back is to you in the next booth doesn't work for the company to whom you just pitched?

Another corporate hot mic mine field is the dreaded conference call.  It's supremely dangerous assuming that when the client says they're dropping off the call, leaving just you and your colleagues, that the client really did successfully disconnect.  Always have everyone on your team hang up and initiate a new call, just to play safe.  This also holds true when you and your colleagues are on a conference call and leaving a message for a client.  Years ago, when I was producing an expose for CBS News on The Church of Scientology, two members of their group left a voicemail message for me.  When they were done recording their message to me, they thought they had disconnected the call.  They hadn't.  What followed was 10 more minutes of a private (or so they thought) conversation between the two of them discussing confidential legal strategy for an ongoing crisis.  A gold mine for me - Waterloo for them.

And if you speak at an industry conference, beware of that wireless microphone you're wearing.  When you're standing in the wings, waiting to take the stage, don't assume the audio technicians have the volume on your mic all the way down.  The last thing you want to hear is your own voice booming out to the audience while you're complaining about something or criticizing someone.  

When it comes to famous people, hot mic moments make great blooper reel material.  Chris Matthews will probably shrug this off and by next week his leering on live TV will be old news.  For the rest of us, the consequences could be more substantial if we get careless in places where we shouldn't.