Lying: Condemnable, yet widespread in business
15 June 2011
Read by 2152 persons
Getting an advantage, protecting oneself, manipulating, hiding serious facts..., the circumstances conducive to lying are legion. Poor internal and external communication creates an environment conducive to condemnable practices.
Never lie, never steal, never speak ill of your neighbours behind their backs. These pieces of advice were constantly repeated to us by our parents from a very young age. While we can avoid committing the latter two transgressions against the rules of community life, it is different for lying. As sociologist Ahmed Al Motamassik points out, "lying is part of our daily lives". No human group escapes it; the company, an emanation of society, even more so. Many management experts are uncompromising on this subject. They believe that everyone lies: managers, as well as employees, while respect and transparency are enshrined by almost all companies as cardinal values. To say otherwise is nothing more than a lie, a transgression that has several meanings.
According to Mr. Al Motamassik, "lying can be a transformation and an alteration of reality. We give information that may be partial, that does not exist, or we do not transmit it at all." We can also say that it is the voluntary statement of a fact contrary to the facts or a given situation. It can also be the concealment of the truth. In this case, we speak of lying by omission to hide an unacceptable situation, for others and for oneself. Lying can also be defined as a form of manipulation that consists of making someone do, or making someone believe, something that they would not have done or believed if they had all the right elements at their disposal. In lying, there is the intention to deceive knowingly. At this level, it is perhaps different from an untruth, which consists in the dissemination of inaccurate information, without the sender being motivated by an intention to pervert reality. In short, the content is false, but the author does not know it.
Why lie, when morality represses it? It is generally a defense system that we use in different contexts.
We lie to gain an advantage or to enhance our self-worth.
This is often illustrated by the adage that "the end justifies the means". To sell a product, companies often use information that is never proven, or difficult to measure, in their advertising messages. A salesperson is often tempted to embellish the quality of their products or services. Like Mohamed El Meslouti, an HR consultant, many recruiters will tell you at length about the fake CVs they receive all day long.
We lie to please.
What is more exhausting than living in a group undermined by conflict? To maintain good relationships, we stroke everyone the right way, or we hush up all the problems that could cause waves. It is often said that to preserve harmony, not all truths are good to say. In this case, the purpose may also be the search for a sinecure.
We lie to protect our image.
It often happens that a person, manager or simple employee, hides a fault, an error, a delinquent or immoral act to avoid being discredited, sanctioned or losing their honour. Such behaviour hides an evident lack of courage.
We lie to avoid a debacle.
The last nuclear accident in Japan is a perfect illustration of this attitude. From the outset, both the Japanese government and the managers of Tepco, the company managing the nuclear power plant, multiplied reassuring statements, while fully aware of the risks they were running for the population. For the moment, only the company's boss has paid the price for disastrous communication management: he will have to leave his post at the end of June, just after the general meeting. This case is not isolated. It is frequent for politicians and decision-makers to make excessive use of the art of rhetoric to calm spirits in a difficult situation.
Another example, those who are used to approaching company bosses will tell you; when the accounts are bad, all subterfuges are used to make people believe the opposite. Some will invoke a change in accounting methods to explain a drop in results, others will invoke the notion of "comparison perimeter" as soon as it is a question of evoking the present and the past or will limit themselves to communicating changes without any reference to the real figures. Sometimes, questions are simply ignored according to the principle that "an eye that does not see is an eye that does not suffer".
Another example, one rarely sees a boss announce a merger, or a company sale, that is certain, but whose terms are under negotiation. No matter how much you let them know, they will reply, hand on their heart, that it is not the case.
We lie to buy time.
This is a frequent case in the business world. A file is late, we assure the boss that only corrections are left or that a figure needs to be verified. To a client who demands delivery on time, we will retort that a machine is defective. To avoid responding to a pressing request for a salary increase, a manager will always say that the study of the request is underway.
We lie to keep power.
As we know, whoever holds the information holds the power. Many people refuse to communicate any data or facts that could strengthen the position of a potential rival.
The scenarios are very varied and are possible in all sectors of society. But if we limit ourselves to the business world, we realise that we are much more tempted to pervert reality in some than in others. According to Ahmed Al Motamassik, "directive management encourages lying". Indeed, the boss can lie knowing that no one will contradict him, and employees can do the same to avoid reprimands.
Whatever the author, adopting such a posture is very risky. For Mohcine Ayouche, CEO of the BMH Coach firm, it is a short-term solution. "Loss of confidence, demotivation, mistrust of partners, loss of clientele, loss of the best elements, but also loss of credibility" are among the direct consequences, he points out. "When lying poisons hierarchical relationships or becomes a mode of corporate governance, the consequences can be more serious. Information no longer becomes reliable and this can lead to the degradation of the social climate," adds the sociologist, for whom lying costs time and money given the consequences on the company's performance. According to these two experts, there are no truths to be kept silent. Mohcine Ayouche advises that one must be assertive, that is to say, to strive to express one's personality or point of view, without arousing the hostility of one's interlocutors or one's environment. This at the individual level. As for the company, it must work on its internal and external communication in order to avoid creating an environment conducive to the spread of reprehensible behaviours.
Brahim Habriche.
Published on June 15, 2011
Posted online on June 15, 2011
lavieeco.com
Never lie, never steal, never speak ill of your neighbours behind their backs. These pieces of advice were constantly repeated to us by our parents from a very young age. While we can avoid committing the latter two transgressions against the rules of community life, it is different for lying. As sociologist Ahmed Al Motamassik points out, "lying is part of our daily lives". No human group escapes it; the company, an emanation of society, even more so. Many management experts are uncompromising on this subject. They believe that everyone lies: managers, as well as employees, while respect and transparency are enshrined by almost all companies as cardinal values. To say otherwise is nothing more than a lie, a transgression that has several meanings.
According to Mr. Al Motamassik, "lying can be a transformation and an alteration of reality. We give information that may be partial, that does not exist, or we do not transmit it at all." We can also say that it is the voluntary statement of a fact contrary to the facts or a given situation. It can also be the concealment of the truth. In this case, we speak of lying by omission to hide an unacceptable situation, for others and for oneself. Lying can also be defined as a form of manipulation that consists of making someone do, or making someone believe, something that they would not have done or believed if they had all the right elements at their disposal. In lying, there is the intention to deceive knowingly. At this level, it is perhaps different from an untruth, which consists in the dissemination of inaccurate information, without the sender being motivated by an intention to pervert reality. In short, the content is false, but the author does not know it.
Why lie, when morality represses it? It is generally a defense system that we use in different contexts.
We lie to gain an advantage or to enhance our self-worth.
This is often illustrated by the adage that "the end justifies the means". To sell a product, companies often use information that is never proven, or difficult to measure, in their advertising messages. A salesperson is often tempted to embellish the quality of their products or services. Like Mohamed El Meslouti, an HR consultant, many recruiters will tell you at length about the fake CVs they receive all day long.
We lie to please.
What is more exhausting than living in a group undermined by conflict? To maintain good relationships, we stroke everyone the right way, or we hush up all the problems that could cause waves. It is often said that to preserve harmony, not all truths are good to say. In this case, the purpose may also be the search for a sinecure.
We lie to protect our image.
It often happens that a person, manager or simple employee, hides a fault, an error, a delinquent or immoral act to avoid being discredited, sanctioned or losing their honour. Such behaviour hides an evident lack of courage.
We lie to avoid a debacle.
The last nuclear accident in Japan is a perfect illustration of this attitude. From the outset, both the Japanese government and the managers of Tepco, the company managing the nuclear power plant, multiplied reassuring statements, while fully aware of the risks they were running for the population. For the moment, only the company's boss has paid the price for disastrous communication management: he will have to leave his post at the end of June, just after the general meeting. This case is not isolated. It is frequent for politicians and decision-makers to make excessive use of the art of rhetoric to calm spirits in a difficult situation.
Another example, those who are used to approaching company bosses will tell you; when the accounts are bad, all subterfuges are used to make people believe the opposite. Some will invoke a change in accounting methods to explain a drop in results, others will invoke the notion of "comparison perimeter" as soon as it is a question of evoking the present and the past or will limit themselves to communicating changes without any reference to the real figures. Sometimes, questions are simply ignored according to the principle that "an eye that does not see is an eye that does not suffer".
Another example, one rarely sees a boss announce a merger, or a company sale, that is certain, but whose terms are under negotiation. No matter how much you let them know, they will reply, hand on their heart, that it is not the case.
We lie to buy time.
This is a frequent case in the business world. A file is late, we assure the boss that only corrections are left or that a figure needs to be verified. To a client who demands delivery on time, we will retort that a machine is defective. To avoid responding to a pressing request for a salary increase, a manager will always say that the study of the request is underway.
We lie to keep power.
As we know, whoever holds the information holds the power. Many people refuse to communicate any data or facts that could strengthen the position of a potential rival.
The scenarios are very varied and are possible in all sectors of society. But if we limit ourselves to the business world, we realise that we are much more tempted to pervert reality in some than in others. According to Ahmed Al Motamassik, "directive management encourages lying". Indeed, the boss can lie knowing that no one will contradict him, and employees can do the same to avoid reprimands.
Whatever the author, adopting such a posture is very risky. For Mohcine Ayouche, CEO of the BMH Coach firm, it is a short-term solution. "Loss of confidence, demotivation, mistrust of partners, loss of clientele, loss of the best elements, but also loss of credibility" are among the direct consequences, he points out. "When lying poisons hierarchical relationships or becomes a mode of corporate governance, the consequences can be more serious. Information no longer becomes reliable and this can lead to the degradation of the social climate," adds the sociologist, for whom lying costs time and money given the consequences on the company's performance. According to these two experts, there are no truths to be kept silent. Mohcine Ayouche advises that one must be assertive, that is to say, to strive to express one's personality or point of view, without arousing the hostility of one's interlocutors or one's environment. This at the individual level. As for the company, it must work on its internal and external communication in order to avoid creating an environment conducive to the spread of reprehensible behaviours.
Brahim Habriche.
Published on June 15, 2011
Posted online on June 15, 2011
lavieeco.com
