The Importance Of Deception In The Workplace

As a professional who consults with organizations on how to raise the visibility and value of their brands, I'm always stressing with my clients that a brand is not a cosmetic you apply to make your organization look pretty. Rather, a brand is nothing less than your DNA; it's a true reflection of how healthy, or unhealthy, your organization is from top to bottom—including its ethical behavior.

1. Recruit and Hire Well

How often have you heard "We need to recruit board members of affluence and influence"? I contend that if the portfolios of board members don't include wisdom and integrity, their affluence and influence often translate into a liability rather than an asset. And the record shows many an organization enduring much pain because

There are other examples of deliberate deception, but these show how damaging deception can be by using a person's trust to undermine his rights and security. In a workplace environment, this results in conflict and retaliation. In a sales function, it can result in lawsuits from deceived customers.

Violation of Conscience

Your sales manager calls you into his office and threatens to fire you unless you sell 50 large toasters. You know the large toasters are inferior products and have been selling the small toasters to your customers, instead. To keep your job, you must violate your conscience and recommend that your customers buy the large toasters. Your boss is engaging in unethical behavior by forcing you to do something you know is wrong, and also risking the ire and potential loss of valuable customers to meet a product sales goal. He may be engaging in unethical conduct because top management has forced him by threatening his job, too. Coercion is also the basis for workplace sexual harassment and results in lawsuits. Unethical behavior often causes more unethical

You work late hours and finish the project before the deadline. Ready for your day off, you mention it to your boss who responds "No, we have too much work to do." Your boss engaged in unethical behavior that has virtually guaranteed your future distrust and unwillingness to extend yourself to assist in department emergencies. In addition, you are likely to complain to your co-workers, causing them to distrust the promises of the boss and be unwilling to cooperate with his