Eight Profiles of Liars
20 May 2014
Read by 2359 persons
The business world is full of deceit. To survive, young people should be wary. Who are the most toxic colleagues? Should you trust them? Should you distrust them? Who is hiding behind their masks?
1. The Two-Faced Liar
A master of office life, always smiling and friendly, who flatters everyone with a company badge. From the cleaning staff ("What a pretty dress!" to Yvette, the overweight receptionist) to upper management ("Wow, Bruno, great speech on the objectives!"). Showing politeness (spending an hour kissing everyone good morning: "How are you doing, Jacquot?"), giving free compliments ("Everyone here appreciates you and knows what they owe you," to a senior colleague tormented by HR), worrying leaks ("They're preparing a counter-project on the 5th floor, don't worry, they'll fail miserably!")... Motivation: to protect group cohesion ("corporate spirit"), to be well-liked. Danger level: 8/20
2. The Cunning Liar
Withholds key information (the company is moving to the suburbs in a month), lies by omission (your probation will not be renewed), slyly hides information about herself (she's the boss's niece). On the other hand, she makes you talk by asking open-ended questions ("So, how's it going? Not too hard?") and listens to you with big empty eyes, nodding her head, while you pour out your bitterness. Motivation: to spy ("reporting"), but also to hide a flaw, not to show that she is lost. Danger level: 12/20
3. The Bluffer
Exaggerates ("We're going to explode sales"), boasts ("They talked about us on the 8 o'clock news"), shows off ("I was at dinner with the boss and his wife yesterday") to gain an advantage (more resources, more respect) or just for instant gratification (attention). Generally, no one verifies or bothers to confront her. When the bubble bursts, everyone has forgotten. Motivation: to overcompensate for a flaw, to hide her incompetence, but also to dazzle and discourage her rivals. Danger level: 7/20
4. The Manipulator
Offers you a friendly hand to make you stumble. For example, they give you a rewarding but risky assignment or sabotage your promotion (head of a department with an 80% chance of closing). Always says "yes," "great," "good idea," then secretly sabotages and changes sides: "I told you, it couldn't work, it was obvious." Pushes you into your flaws (drinking, eating, arriving late, doing nothing) with complicit indulgence, then denounces you behind your back. Extracts confidences (you just broke up with your girlfriend), then uses them against you ("He's completely lost it, his wife just left him.") Motivation: to get rid of you, to eliminate competence to win the jackpot. Danger level: 18/20
5. The Mythomaniac
"I ran a publishing house for eight years, it was exciting," "I was a dancer at the Opera before turning to marketing," "My family owned stud farms in Andalusia"... Her resume is dazzling, her boyfriends drive Porsches, her apartment is 200 m2, and her children have top marks in their baccalaureate. All told with little love stars in her eyes, as if you were her best friend, of the noble class, too. Often, she ends up believing in her imaginary exploits. Motivation: mental imbalance, escaping reality, hiding her depression. Danger level: none, if you are not fooled by her lies
6. The Swindler
Has great plans to help you pay less tax, get more money on your payslip, get a new computer on the cheap, an apartment at half price... He knows how to help the company double its figures, proposes foolproof financial schemes, skills sharing... His vision of life can be appealing. It is all the more dangerous as it coincides with that of the company: on one side the herd of honest fools (customers who will pay for this rubbish), on the other the clever predators (who will sell them the rubbish and make a killing). Choose your side. Motivation: not to work, to beat everyone, to swindle you. Danger level: 20/20 or 0 (depending on whether you fall for their delusions or not)
7. The Spy
Always seems well-informed, shows great freedom of speech. However, it is difficult to understand "who he is working for exactly". On the one hand, he spreads gossip about your boss ("He's finished") and encourages you to denounce him ("It can't be easy working with Bruno every day"). On the other hand, he seems to justify unpopular decisions ("Outsourcing manufacturing is normal, they haven't done anything for years"). He invites you to lunch for no reason, sends you friendly but empty text messages ("Hello, my friend, give me some news!"). Or asks you strange and tedious questions ("What did you talk about with Berkenbaum at the seminar?"). Motivation: to spy for management or potential buyers. Danger level: 20/20
8. The Crazy One
Tells complicated, unrealistic stories, science fiction style (her computer hates her, the CEO tried to rape her in the elevator, aliens kidnapped her but she's not allowed to talk about it), raves, talks about her shower curtain for hours. In the middle of this mess, sometimes a disturbing piece of information: "Men in suits came to visit the premises at 11 pm." But how can you know? Motivation: fighting against death. Danger level: high if she shows up armed at the office.
Rafal Naczyk.
References.be
Posted on May 20, 2014.
1. The Two-Faced Liar
A master of office life, always smiling and friendly, who flatters everyone with a company badge. From the cleaning staff ("What a pretty dress!" to Yvette, the overweight receptionist) to upper management ("Wow, Bruno, great speech on the objectives!"). Showing politeness (spending an hour kissing everyone good morning: "How are you doing, Jacquot?"), giving free compliments ("Everyone here appreciates you and knows what they owe you," to a senior colleague tormented by HR), worrying leaks ("They're preparing a counter-project on the 5th floor, don't worry, they'll fail miserably!")... Motivation: to protect group cohesion ("corporate spirit"), to be well-liked. Danger level: 8/20
2. The Cunning Liar
Withholds key information (the company is moving to the suburbs in a month), lies by omission (your probation will not be renewed), slyly hides information about herself (she's the boss's niece). On the other hand, she makes you talk by asking open-ended questions ("So, how's it going? Not too hard?") and listens to you with big empty eyes, nodding her head, while you pour out your bitterness. Motivation: to spy ("reporting"), but also to hide a flaw, not to show that she is lost. Danger level: 12/20
3. The Bluffer
Exaggerates ("We're going to explode sales"), boasts ("They talked about us on the 8 o'clock news"), shows off ("I was at dinner with the boss and his wife yesterday") to gain an advantage (more resources, more respect) or just for instant gratification (attention). Generally, no one verifies or bothers to confront her. When the bubble bursts, everyone has forgotten. Motivation: to overcompensate for a flaw, to hide her incompetence, but also to dazzle and discourage her rivals. Danger level: 7/20
4. The Manipulator
Offers you a friendly hand to make you stumble. For example, they give you a rewarding but risky assignment or sabotage your promotion (head of a department with an 80% chance of closing). Always says "yes," "great," "good idea," then secretly sabotages and changes sides: "I told you, it couldn't work, it was obvious." Pushes you into your flaws (drinking, eating, arriving late, doing nothing) with complicit indulgence, then denounces you behind your back. Extracts confidences (you just broke up with your girlfriend), then uses them against you ("He's completely lost it, his wife just left him.") Motivation: to get rid of you, to eliminate competence to win the jackpot. Danger level: 18/20
5. The Mythomaniac
"I ran a publishing house for eight years, it was exciting," "I was a dancer at the Opera before turning to marketing," "My family owned stud farms in Andalusia"... Her resume is dazzling, her boyfriends drive Porsches, her apartment is 200 m2, and her children have top marks in their baccalaureate. All told with little love stars in her eyes, as if you were her best friend, of the noble class, too. Often, she ends up believing in her imaginary exploits. Motivation: mental imbalance, escaping reality, hiding her depression. Danger level: none, if you are not fooled by her lies
6. The Swindler
Has great plans to help you pay less tax, get more money on your payslip, get a new computer on the cheap, an apartment at half price... He knows how to help the company double its figures, proposes foolproof financial schemes, skills sharing... His vision of life can be appealing. It is all the more dangerous as it coincides with that of the company: on one side the herd of honest fools (customers who will pay for this rubbish), on the other the clever predators (who will sell them the rubbish and make a killing). Choose your side. Motivation: not to work, to beat everyone, to swindle you. Danger level: 20/20 or 0 (depending on whether you fall for their delusions or not)
7. The Spy
Always seems well-informed, shows great freedom of speech. However, it is difficult to understand "who he is working for exactly". On the one hand, he spreads gossip about your boss ("He's finished") and encourages you to denounce him ("It can't be easy working with Bruno every day"). On the other hand, he seems to justify unpopular decisions ("Outsourcing manufacturing is normal, they haven't done anything for years"). He invites you to lunch for no reason, sends you friendly but empty text messages ("Hello, my friend, give me some news!"). Or asks you strange and tedious questions ("What did you talk about with Berkenbaum at the seminar?"). Motivation: to spy for management or potential buyers. Danger level: 20/20
8. The Crazy One
Tells complicated, unrealistic stories, science fiction style (her computer hates her, the CEO tried to rape her in the elevator, aliens kidnapped her but she's not allowed to talk about it), raves, talks about her shower curtain for hours. In the middle of this mess, sometimes a disturbing piece of information: "Men in suits came to visit the premises at 11 pm." But how can you know? Motivation: fighting against death. Danger level: high if she shows up armed at the office.
Rafal Naczyk.
References.be
Posted on May 20, 2014.
