Q: A good friend of mine at work just got fired for sending instant messages on the job. Isn’t that stupid? I mean, how is that any different from me taking a personal call at work? In fact, I would think instant messaging is better because it’s free and it takes less time to respond to. – Katie

J.T.: It’s clear your friend’s employer felt the instant messages were affecting her work. This is actually a big source of frustration for employers today. With all the personal calls, Internet use and instant messaging, companies are feeling like they are being taken advantage of.

Dale: There’s an old story about Cardinal Spellman, from when he was Archbishop of New York, who had an assistant come into his office one morning and say, “Your Eminence, there’s a man at the door who insists that he is Jesus Christ. What should we do?” And the Cardinal looked up from his work and replied, “Well, look busy.” I’d all but forgotten that story because the concept of “looking busy” to impress the boss has all but disappeared. Good managers hire people who don’t need watching, and find ways to assess output, not busyness. So I’m with you, Katie. Trying to run a business like it’s a kindergarten class takes more time than whatever time it is supposed to save.

J.T.: Wait. There’s a bigger issue here than productivity: security. Did you know the instant message you send from work could put your company’s computer network at risk?

I did some research and learned that instant-messaging systems from some of the providers lack basic security features needed to protect corporate networks. So, until the day comes that A.) We are certain instant messaging won’t crash the company servers, and B.) Companies decide to stop worrying how to keep their employees from cheating them out of work time, I’d say, stay clear of messaging.

Dale: Now you’re going to scare more managers, and scared managers become bureaucrats running around letting policies fall from the sky.

A lot of messaging is moving over to cell phones, where the office system is not involved, and if the ones on computer are a danger to the company’s system, get the IT people to investigate and let employees understand the risks.

Beyond that, it’s bureaucracy that is the theft of time in organizations. Let’s hope, Katie, that your friend’s new employer steals you away to join her.