Cheating: The Act of Purposeful Lying

Step 2 – Senior leaders should suggest (and require) situations in which this technique should be applied. For example, initially using this process during meetings is a good starting point. Eventually, applying steps 3 to 5 can be used at any time and in-the-moment.

Step 3 – Leaders need to kick this process off by starting the role-modeling process. For example, on a project focused “insider threats” where (for example), copying confidential company files and documents and taking them home is considered theft (even if to simply do work at home), during a meeting a leader might suggest that she plans to work on a confidential document over the weekend.

Step 4 – After making this statement, she would “take a moment” and ask the team … “what do you think about what I just said”? This brings awareness to the implied behavior.

Step 5 – Although brief, a conversation and debate should be encouraged that debates behaviors, policies and processes that manifest ethical behavior. Ultimately, once this step is common and less awkward, it can be applied in the moment and at any time both in response to cheating behavior and the opposite.

This simple process has been applied with organizations focused on “safety” in the workplace (especially in dangerous environments, such as electrical installations, welding operations or where there are fire hazards). I have also applied this technique in companies that want to become more “agile” and “nimble” but where these “values” have remained on posters and in corporate wide training and communications programs but have not actually caused behavior change. Once a simple exercise like this is implemented, it becomes a powerful coaching tool for coaches to leverage with their clients.

Behavioral Triggers

When a coach works with a leader who recognizes she is prone to lying or cheating, and does so impulsively and wants help to stop these behaviors, the process of “thinking about your thinking” can be a powerful technique. This psychological technique is more formally known as “metacognition”, which refers to the ability to reflect on one’s own cognitive processes, such as attention, perception, memory, and feelings, and to monitor and regulate them for effectiveness – in this instance to limit compulsive cheating or lying.