He couldn’t speak badly about a professional mentor and not expect there to be consequences.

It always pays to be careful with our words, but never more so than in a work environment. You never know who could be listening when you criticize somebody important who could have a substantial impact on your career in a negative sense.

Of course, that isn’t to say that we should always hold back when it comes to calling out exploitative companies and terrible coworkers. In certain instances, it is actually very important to get our voice heard and expose business practices that shouldn’t be happening. However, it is wise to use discernment when doing this to protect our own interests.

The reality is that the working world relies just as much, if not more, on who we know compared to what we know. Most people who burn bridges quickly learn that this is best done when they know that they have a good escape route that ensures that their livelihood is going to remain intact. Sure, being nice to somebody you can’t stand can be painful, but sometimes tactics have to triumph over personal feelings when it comes to tricky office politics.