Ethics in Action Series: Why Do People Lie at Work?

Many employees in the workplace feel enormous pressure to hit their revenue targets (even when booking a sale ends up lowering the company’s profit).  There is also the pressure to avoid being embarrassed or feeling inadequate among their peers (such as lying to a colleague when she asks whether you called a client). 

Employees also lie for self-gain reasons, such as doing whatever it takes to get that big bonus, raise, or promotion. Regrettably, there are people in the workplace who (researchers call them prolific liars) who believe they can lie their way to success (even it means taking credit for the work done by others). We also know that employees lie to fit in or conform to long-established workplace practices (adhering to that common expression “to get along, go along”). There’s also a growing body of workplace research that’s looking at “pro-social lies” and how these lies can build trust among members of the team or unit. 

Bosses lie too. Remember the bonus or raise your boss promised but never came?  While managers do their best to explain the reasons why (sales were down, we couldn’t fit into the budget), it’s still hard for most employees to swallow that “we’ll give it to you next year” excuse. Even Forbes has shown that companies not only fabricate job postings, but also omit important facts, including compensation-related information.

What the research tells us is lying in the workplace occurs for many reasons and almost all of us have fallen down that “ethical slippery slope.” We all have had to face the shadows of power, privilege, deceit, and loyalty. 

5 Steps Leaders Can Take to Reduce Lying in the Workplace

According to the Harvard Business Review, employees rank “high ethical and moral standards” as the most important characteristic of effective leaders. So if you’re serious about reducing lying on your team or in your workplace, consider implementing these five steps:

•  Prioritize honesty and ethical behavior

Establish honesty as one of your core values and then find creative ways to keep explaining and reaffirming honesty so it becomes part of your team or company culture. Far too many workplace leaders personally value honesty but they don’t explicitly communicate and reinforce the expectation that all team members need to be honest. 

• Walk your talk

Don’t fall into the “do as I say, not as I do” trap. The most effective leaders consistently model honesty. Your team needs to see you as being trustworthy.  Being transparent is also critical to establishing a culture of honesty. It’s difficult to ask team members to be honest if you’ve created a “culture of secrets.” 

• Recalibrate your performance management system

Employees will start lying if they perceive your performance review process does not fully capture their contributions. Here’s what one researcher noted: “When accountability processes are seen as unfair, people feel forced to embellish their accomplishments and hide, or make excuses for their shortfalls. That sets the stage for dishonest behavior.”

• Develop a Dashboard of  “Honesty Reminders”

Sreedhari Desai, a professor of organizational behavior at UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School, has conducted research to help companies “nudge” or “prime” their employees in more ethical and honest directions. I want to be clear here: Quotes, slogans, and stories about integrity in the workplace won’t make a difference if the boss repeatedly lies or deceives. But Professor Desai’s research shows that visible “ethical reminders” and company-wide symbols and rituals can help employees be more honest with each other and their customers.

• Create “Ethics Simulations”

Almost no one wakes up in the morning and says “today I am going to lie at work.” Rather, we usually lie because of the stress involved or the perceived (negative) consequences of being honest. Here’s the reality that no one wants to talk about: It’s not easy to take the ethical high ground when it means you are more or less telling your colleagues they are on the low ground. That’s why workplace leaders need to think of honesty as a muscle that gets stronger with exercise. 

What would an “honesty workout” look like? One idea is for your team or company to create a series of “ethics simulations.” Twice a year put your team through ethical scenarios (pertinent to their everyday workplace challenges) that will require them to internalize and normalize the cognitive, emotional, and behavioral “scripts” that will need to be honest in stressed-like situations, Clearly, it will be difficult for you to engineer the requisite fear and danger, but the benefit of this approach is the signal it sends to your team that honesty is not easily produced “on demand.” Each one of us needs practice being honest in situations where it may be easier to lie.

Going forward, here’s our collective challenge as champions for honesty: We need to crack the moral identity code. We need to create a future where we have inspired and equipped employees to summon the cognitive and emotional tools they need to be honest. In some cases, they will summon their oath or commitment to their own professional identity (i.e., as a nurse or engineer). In other cases they will be honest because of their heartfelt identity as a parent or because of their strong faith commitment. 

Whatever “commitment button” we push, let’s work together to create a future workplace where trust is strong, cynicism is weak, and the courage to speak up and report dishonesty is widely practiced.

Four Books on Honesty

*affiliate links

The Truth About Lies: The Illusion of Honesty and the Evolution of Deceit

By: Aja Raden
And now for something completely different: Witty, beautifully written, and chock-full of quirky anecdotes by the former head of the auction division at the famed House of Kahn. 

Interested in learning more?
Watch for the subsequent parts of this series and sign up to receive the “Ethics in Action” blog and webinar series in your Inbox.

Part 1: Why Do Kids Lie? (Overview)
Part 2: What Parents Can Do When Their Children Are Lying
Part 3: What Teachers Can Do When Their Students are Lying
Part 5: Webinar: A Conversation with Dr. Kang Lee on Why People Lie

In the months ahead, our series will also explore Why Do Kids Steal? and Why Do Kids Cheat?

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