Think BUSTED to Bust the Liars in Your Workplace Editor’s Note: Main story on workplace deception is in the May-June issue of BizVoice® and available here.
Here are six clues you can use to determine whether your co-workers are being straight up – or shoveling manure from a sitting position. Just remember the word BUSTED:
B: B-b-b-bad to the Bone A liar might stutter, stammer or otherwise wrap his tongue around his forehead. But it’s impossible to know whether it’s because he just stole the Swingline stapler off your desk or was repeatedly dropped on his head as a baby.
U: Uncomfortable Silence A liar might grow quiet or pause frequently, filling the uncomfortable silence with non-words sounds like “ah,” “er,” “um,” “oh” and “duh.” Listen for these sounds; they are a liar’s vowels.
S: Shrinking Violet A liar might limit his or her physical expressions, and arm and hand movements may seem oddly mechanical and directed toward the body. This represents a desire to take up less space. Sprinting for the exit represents the pinnacle of this desire.
T: Touching the Nose Mendacity experts commented on how frequently former president Bill Clinton touched his nose during his testimony on the Monica Lewinsky affair. Here’s a little known fact: the nose contains erectile tissue that engorges with blood when a person is under stress or nervous. Suddenly, Pinocchio never seemed so wrong.
E: Expansion and Contraction A liar tends to expand contractions. “I didn’t spend lunch hour surfing those triple-X web sites” becomes “I did not spend lunch hour surfing those triple-X web sites,” with an indignant look thrown in for good measure. A liar thinks his high-falutin’ speechifying will convince the IT people he’s telling the truth. But if that ain’t the way he usually talks, somethin’ ain’t right. He could be hiding some dirty laundry – or dirty Internet habits.
D: Delayed Emotions The timing between a liar’s gestures and words may appear off. Displays of emotion, if any, are delayed and may remain longer than they would naturally. If your co-workers are acting like the extras in a poorly dubbed Jackie Chan chop-socky flick, then odds are something other than the truth is their motivation.
Of course, these signs might have nothing to do with deception. To be brutally honest, no single sign or group of signs proves a person is being loose and fast with the truth. (Except for that person admitting they lied, which is as rare as hash browns and toast on an Atkins-dieter’s breakfast plate.)
These signs do serve as useful warning signals, however. If you spot one of them, or a group of them in close succession, it’s a good idea to slow down, pay closer attention and ask some penetrating questions of this potential fibber.
