It's late at night.

You're still at the office after a full day's strategy meeting.

The team left the meeting feeling upbeat, ready to move the organization forward. The path ahead is ambitious, but you feel truly confident about your organization's ability to succeed. After all, you have a great group of employees.

You're walking down the hall with another executive talking about the great outlook for the company, when you nudge him and ask:

"Hey, who's the new guy…?"

"Oh that's Harrison; he just came on board last week."

"Really, have you met him? What's he like?"

"Oh he seems great, highly motivated, smooth talker, ambitious."

"Great" you exclaim, "He seems like just the person we need at this company."

The two of you walk out to the parking lot and head home for the day.

Meanwhile, Harrison has overheard your conversation from his office. His dark green eyes narrow, his ice-cold blood begins to pump, his long tongue shoots out of his mouth – with a hiss … and he rattles his tail, knowing he's fooled everyone.

Watch out, there are snakes all around you.

Engagement, Investment & Risk Management

One of the more critical focus areas for most well run organizations today, is in defining and determining new and effective ways to help drive employee engagement (or what we prefer to call discretionary investment). Most leaders have come to understand it is an essential element of the execution-oriented culture.

There is only one problem; in far too many organizations there are snakes in the grass.

These snakes, present at any level in the organization, are only looking out for one thing – themselves. They will strive to rise through the ranks at any cost, all the while manipulating and using everyone around them for their own personal gain.

The problem is – you don't see them, until it's too late.

Snake Oil

Charming, intelligent, well-spoken - these all seem like great descriptors of an ideal executive. However, when you add in the dangerous characteristics of what Dr. Paul Bibak Ph. D. and Dr. Robert D. Hare Ph. D. are calling "psychopaths at work", characteristics such as opportunistic, manipulative, and cunning, you begin to see a whole different person.

The problem is, "corporate snakes" are very good at hiding these characteristics, until they're ready to strike.

Organizations have to wake up to the fact that if they want to be successful, they have to flush out these people to ensure there is constant organizational alignment, focus, and energy.

Cold Blooded

To back up their claims, Bibak and Hare turn to the DSM for ammunition. The research is solid and shows that all psychopaths display certain characteristics. If you want to ensure that snakes don't make it onto your organization chart, be sure to look for these characteristics:

Interpersonal Traits

The person is:
Superficial; Grandiose; Deceitful.

Affective Traits

The person:
Lacks remorse; Lacks Empathy; Doesn't accept responsibility.

Lifestyle Traits

The person:
Is impulsive; Lacks Goals; Is irresponsible.

Antisocial Traits

The person has a history of:
Poor behavioural controls; Adolescent antisocial behaviour; Adult antisocial behaviour.

Now, before you panic and feel you may be a psychopath, or that someone you know is a psychopath, even "normal" people will display some of these characteristics. However, if you are hiring or determining promotions, take these factors into account.

Three-headed Beast

Regardless of whether or not you are trying to track down snakes, it is always important to remember that when it comes to organizational behaviour, perception is indeed reality. You will find that you can be far more successful in your career if you keep your three personalities in check:

Private personality – what you experience inside yourself

Public Personality – what you want others to see

Attributed Personality – your reputation, based on what you say and do

To help your organization understand it's "reality", behavioural assessments and 360-degree feedback can be tremendously beneficial.

Poisoned Profits

Studies have shown that inappropriate or fraudulent behaviour (in many cases attributed to snakes) costs companies millions of dollars in lost productivity. By having a snake high up in your organization, you can very likely be at risk of falling victim to their manipulative ways.

In Our Opinion
The Beacon Group's Recipe for Anti-venom

Get a Mongoose – Deputizing the HR department, or hiring a strong-willed executive coach can go a long way towards flushing out potential snakes. Remember, these people are intelligent, so attack quickly.

Check for Bites – Open lines of communication, with candid dialogue can make snakes uneasy. Make sure that everyone is on the same page, and that the collective goals are clear.

Cut the Grass – Review your talent pool regularly. Solicit feedback from various parties. By eliminating redundant positions, and excess headcount, snakes will have a tough time finding prey, and more importantly – places to hide.

Stay Close – More eyes on the trail will help protect the group. Make sure that there are ample opportunities to get together as a group, and celebrate organizational wins.

Our Monthly Rant
Get Help Immediately

Not to encourage tattle-tails and turncoats, but - if you have been made the victim of a crime you really should report it. Drs. Bibak and Hare refer to the prey of snakes and have labeled them as - Pawns, Patrons, and Patsies.

Don't become one of these.

If, for whatever reason you do, do not be embarrassed or ashamed. Let your colleagues know, before they get bitten.

You owe it to your colleagues to save your organization's life.

The Beacon Group can help your organization and its Leaders with our World-Class Organizational Development Expertise.

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