100 best money moves

Move 37: Don't undermine your career

You could call your boss a "charlatan" and a "piece of s**t" and then insult his ethnicity. (Stay classy, Charlie.) Or you could make a less drastic -- but still potentially injurious -- mistake.

"That's how we've always done it."
Uttering any variation of that statement tells your boss that you're closed-minded, says Stephen Viscusi, author of "Bulletproof Your Job." Instead, make your case on the current facts, saying something like, "I've priced out the options, and this is the most cost-effective."

"I just signed three clients; Jason got only one."
It's fine to toot your own horn now and then -- smart, in fact -- but don't do it at the expense of your colleagues. "You won't be viewed as a team player," says Viscusi, "and your manager may be less likely to trust you."

"Let's be Facebook friends."
While you certainly won't post anything inappropriate, one of your "friends" may -- and given that Facebook's privacy policy is about as stable as a Middle Eastern regime, it's hard to stay on top of it. Don't be found guilty by association.

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Last updated April 28 2011: 11:32 AM ET