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Pervasive and persistent dishonesty in a system will inevitably grow from a malignancy to a full-blown cancer destroying an organization's productivity and morale. As organizational consultants charged with helping to undo the damage, some key points to consider and to implement:
1. Do a Gut Check. First and foremost, when intervening with such widespread deceptive and manipulative behavior we must be aware of our own potential emotional reactions ? fear, alienation, anger and revulsion. Also, be prepared to be the target of this mendacity. Make sure you have someone with whom you can bounce ideas and feelings.
2. Understand the Dynamics. What motivates such wide-ranging dishonesty? Consider these forces:
a) Top Management as Role Models. Clearly, b.s. easily trickles down. Has dishonesty ? payoffs, falsifying records, inflating productivity numbers, etc. ? just become business as usual? Is top management covering up for a friend or ally? If these operational practices cease will their reign of power end? Even if top management is not outright dishonest, are they tolerating or closing their eyes to serious dysfunctional activity from key managers and supervisors? Too often such leaders don't want to hear "bad news," especially if it reflects on their performance capability.
b) Climate of Fear. Lying and cheating also flourish in an atmosphere of intimidation and reprisal, of harsh judgment and ridicule and of impulsive dismissal. There's an almost irrational fear of making a mistake, of not meeting productivity quotas as well as the belief that the messenger will suffer if giving honest feedback. No ...