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Understanding Betrayal at Work By Terry Bragg Survivor is a popular television show because it exposes human nature—both good and bad, but mostly bad because bad is usually more interesting. The alliance formation and dissolution, the strategies to win or to thwart others, and the blatant lying, deceit, and betrayal capture the attention of viewers. All of this is done in the name of playing the game, surviving another day, and winning the grand prize. I read comments recently by a psychologist who said that the tactics used by the participants on Survivor would not be successful in the workplace. The psychologist claimed collaboration and trust are key ingredients for succeeding at work. I agree that collaboration and trust are important contributors for success at work. In my experience, though, viewers watch Survivor because the show displays the same types of behavior viewers see regularly in the workplace. They regularly see the survivors’ behavior—the deceit and maneuvering for self-gain at the expense of others—from coworkers and from the organizations they work for. Organizational cultures often encourage betrayal and other survivor behavior by employees. You can easily recognize the factors that promote these behaviors: incongruent goals, shifting coalitions, excuse making, finger pointing, and a history of tolerating violations of trust. For example, downsizing is the corporate version of Survivor Island. Downsizing pits employees against each other—not everyone will survive and some surviving employees will benefit from the downsizing. Downsizing also promotes turf building and coalition building, and it encourages false or misleading communication to hide the layoff that follows. Companies that downsize have a difficult time building effective teams, and getting workers to cooperate. They are also the companies that often complain that workers are no longer loyal to their employers. Do they really expect workers to be loyal to companies that treat them like commodities? Betrayal comes in three types: (1) unintentional, (2) premeditated, and (3) opportunistic. Unintentional betrayal is violating trust without intending to do so. For example, a worker may inadvertently reveal confidential information without intending to reveal it. This is the classic slip of the tongue. Premeditated betrayal is entering a trusting relationship to betray the other person. Spies are examples of premeditated betrayers. Premeditated betrayal often happens during corporate mergers. For example, managers in the acquiring company assure staff members in the acquired company that they have jobs in the new organization. The managers know that once they gain sensitive information from the employees, or the employees complete critical short-term projects, the company will fire them. Opportunistic betrayers intend to betray the other party but do not enter the relationship for that purpose. The right circumstances and the belief that they will gain more through betrayal than by acting with integrity cause the opportunistic betrayer to yield to temptation. The opportunistic betrayer assesses the potential benefits of betrayal, the probability of getting caught, and the severity of the penalties they will suffer if someone catches them. Most betrayals are opportunistic. Coworkers don’t intend to betray each other. They simply give in when the opportunity arises. Gossiping, backstabbing, or taking undeserved credit are common examples of workplace betrayals by coworkers. Organizations experiencing lack of trust by employees usually commit unintentional or opportunistic acts of betrayal. Poor delegation, miscommunication, constantly shifting priorities, abusive management styles, and repeated reorganizations to cover up mismanagement are examples of behavior that employees may perceive as betrayal of their trust. Although the actions seem minor in isolation, they quickly add up to create a culture characterized by lack of trust and feelings of betrayal. Organizations do all of this in the name of playing the business game ("it was a business decision"), and surviving another day. To build and sustain trust within the workplace, we must change the game we are playing. Terry Bragg and Peacemakers Training offers a variety of tools for promoting, maintaining, and recognizing excellence in your workplace. We also offer tools for helping you achieve and maintain personal excellence. To learn more about these tools, click here: Tools for Workplace and Personal Excellence To find out more about Terry's book, 31 Days to High Self-Esteem, click here: 31 Days to High Self-Esteem To learn more about onsite seminars and workshops for improving interpersonal relationships, resolving conflict, and promoting and maintaining excellence in your workplace, click here: Seminars & Workshops ©2001 All rights reserved Terry Bragg•Peacemakers Training Terry Bragg runs a company called Peacemakers Training in Salt Lake City, Utah, and is the author of the book 31 Days to High Self-Esteem. He works with organizations to create a workplace where people want to work, and with managers who want their people to work together better. If you want your organization or your people to have more energy, more trust, more respect, and more meaning, please contact him at: Peacemakers Training Subscribe to our Free
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