Did you know that the CIA actually published a book detailing how people could sabotage organizations from the inside? Though it was written in 1944, the truth is that the information in there still remains relevant today.
The CIA is not a dumb organization. It’s an organization tasked with helping national security and was also linked to the rise and fall of several major global political movements. They know what to watch for when it comes to organization action.
The book was called The Simple Sabotage Field Manual, and in it, there were several pages detailing what a person trying to sabotage an organization should do. The funny thing is that many of those same actions are unconsciously done by employees who simply aren’t good hires.
We all know that a bad hire can hurt your bottom line. Make no mistake about it—if your new hire makes these moves, even the CIA would advise you it’s time to let it go.
They bring up irrelevant issues all the time, especially during very focused meetings.
Imagine the following scenario: you’re having a meeting with your staff members because you began to notice increasingly aggressive behavior from your clients. You’re worried about the safety of your employees. This is a meeting you have said will focus on safety and only safety.
Your employee, Ralph, has decided that now is a good time to talk about scented trash bag liners. You politely tell Ralph that this is not the right time to discuss this. Ralph redirects the conversation to the liners anyway, arguing that he should be given the right to speak about it.
If Ralph’s behavior is a regular occurrence, you might want to let him go. It was cited as a highly effective way to sabotage an organization for a reason: it actually makes it hard for everyone to focus, all while eating away at precious time.
They “haggle over precise wordings” and won’t stop trying to re-open old issues.
This was another major suggestion given by the CIA to destabilize a company: never stop bickering about small details. Even when the matter has been put to rest, open the matter back up again.
It’s not just annoying. It’s inefficient. Let’s take our example, Ralph, again. If he keeps opening up that debate about the garbage bags even after you buy the lavender-scented ones he suggested, he might be actively trying to harm your company’s culture.
They constantly misunderstand the work they’re supposed to do.
When you hired Ralph, you made sure to give him an end-to-end training session on how to clean your tanning beds, how to sell your lotions, how to organize the lotions, and how to greet customers. You’re shocked to hear that Ralph’s coworkers started to notice that he’s not cleaning the beds or organizing lotions properly.
When confronted with this, Ralph replies that he “didn’t understand” the instructions. He then goes on to ask endless questions, many of which could be answered if he just looked back at his employee handbook. You’re shocked. You thought your communication was crystal-clear, but Ralph is totally lost on it.
In most cases, people who misunderstand commands aren’t trying to do this out of malice. They might genuinely not understand what they’re doing. However, if you’ve exhausted yourself trying to teach a “Ralph” how to do his job while everyone else seems fine with it, he might just be a bad fit for the company.
Communication is absolutely essential to a good company. But, there’s also a point where you have to wash your hands of an employee, shrug, and say, “Hey, I tried, but it’s not a good fit.”
They constantly question you and your abilities.
Imagine you’re working on a new sales pitch. You’re training your employees on how to sell SuperTanner, a brand-new tanning lotion. SuperTanner’s own representatives taught you how to pitch it and you’re just explaining it to your staff.
Ralph pipes up: “Oh, I don’t think that this will work. People won’t go for it.”
You explain to him that this is how the lotion needs to be sold. The representatives want it to be sold that way. Ralph then starts to pitch a fuss, saying “people will never want it if you sell it that way,” and that he’s now so worried that he won’t make a commission.
After the training session gets derailed, you’re beginning to question yourself. Should you really have gotten SuperTanner? Maybe you’re not as good at this as you thought.
No. Wait. That constant wheedling and negativity? That’s actually a method that the CIA used to destabilize major companies. If your employees constantly question you or make you think negatively about something, it may be time to let them go before they actually affect your confidence.
Their work is always subpar, but the blame is never on them.
A client runs out of a tanning room Ralph was in charge of. She has a growing sunburn and she’s crying out in pain. She’s got very fair skin. Ralph says it’s not his fault, because it’s a broken tanning bed. You go in and look. The bed is fine, but it’s not cleaned and it’s on the wrong setting.
You start to notice a pattern. Ralph blames a lack of training, poor tools, and others for all his mistakes. He cannot and will not allow anyone to hold him accountable. If that isn’t a red flag, I don’t know what is!
You notice that Ralph is always “on break” or away from his desk.
You hired Ralph because you were in dire need of a staffer during busy season. However, it seems like he’s always not there when you need him. He’s taking extra long at the bathroom, constantly distracted at work, and often ends up leaving the salon’s main desk unattended despite all chambers in use.
While every employee needs a break for a snack or a trip to the loo, the truth is that we all know when people are trying to skirt their work.
Your employee turns away important calls even when you’re nearby.
When your sister called the front desk asking for you, Ralph told her that you were away. This wasn’t true. You were literally right three feet away from him talking to a client. Your sister tells you the truth after the fact.
Communication is key with any business. That’s why a company that is hard to reach is a company in peril. If you’re dealing with an employee that never returns calls, that’s a serious issue.
You found out your employees have a serious rumor mill going on—and it started with ONE person.
Lately, you’ve noticed your employees acting a little funky. They seem to be unusually quiet around you. Finally, you pull aside your long-time employee and ask them what’s going on. You can’t help but notice the atmosphere change.
Your employee tells you that they heard about how you were going to cut wages so you can get a new Porsche. The problem? This isn’t true. It’s a wild rumor. You round up your employees to find out who started this rumor. They all point to Ralph.
Rumors are a great way to turn friends against each other—and also tank a company.
The moral of the story: watch for toxic employees.
It’s true. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. You can train up a good employee with the right attitude and the right mannerisms. You can’t train or educate a person whose attitude is not compatible (or even detrimental) to your culture.
Take a look at the CIA handbook’s “advice” for saboteurs. Does it remind you of a “Ralph” of your own? If so, you know what to do.
