Alan manages a group of five copyeditors. He promised Dillon, one of the editors, that he would be sent to the annual editors’ convention if he kept performing at his current high level. He also told Dillon that he would be rated in the top category of the company’s performance review system and would be the first in line for promotion to senior copyeditor. Dillon was told all of this in the last four months. None of these promises were kept. Alan deceived Dillon. Dillon did not get to go to the convention, he was rated in the average category, and someone else got the promotion.
Symptoms of the Deceiver. Deceivers do not tell the truth. They lie, embellish the truth, or make up stories. They deceive others because they do not want to recognize what is really happening, or they don’t know what is really happening and need to respond in some way, or they like to see the strong emotional reactions, positive or negative, of others.
Impact on Staff. People have a tremendous dislike for being lied to, even if it was unintentional or there was no malice intended. Deception is near the top of the list of reasons managers lose the trust and loyalty of their staff. It is impossible for people to have a constructive working relationship with a manager who deceives them.
Impact on Department/Organization. For organizations to succeed, staff members need to be working toward their goals in a supportive work environment. When individuals are deceived by their managers, goals lose their relevance and the environment becomes destructive. When this occurs, the quality of performance and output suffers.
Why Accidental Managers Become Deceivers. Accidental managers often don’t have the information they need. They do not know where to get it or whom to ask for it. They don’t want to come across as looking unprepared or uninformed to their team members, so they make up the facts.
Hints for the Deceiver. Managers are much more respected and liked when they tell the truth, even if the truth is unpleasant at first. It is better to tell someone that he’s being sent to another department than to tell him that he’s not being affected by a reorganization. Eventually team members will find out that a manager has lied, and then the relationship is destroyed. If a manager has "accidentally" deceived a team member, she must, as soon as possible, admit that she did so. If she does that, it is still possible that the relationship can be held intact.