Came across this technique over the past week - was used against us, and was a bit of a distraction until we worked out what was going on:
An essential ingredient is a group of people in opposing team that are new to working with each other.
In the lead up to a big meeting where a course of action will be decided, proceed to talk to everyone on the opposing team and backstab everyone else on the team. Completely discredit them by using past examples of where they have stuffed up. It's preferable to be completely one-sided in your accounts, so that the people you are back-stabbing look as incompetant as possible. Put nothing in writing (of course) that would reveal what you have been conveying verbally.
Hopefully, you'll even get a rise out of inflammable types right away as you talk to them. You will probably make the confidence of the opposing group sink pretty low, as they start to believe their team is the ultimate group of losers. You may even succeed in making them distrust each other. You'll probably distract them from the task at hand, and they probably won't notice the stuff-ups that you have made, or the breaches of contract that you could be accused of.
On the day, turn up and be most civil in front of your superiors and opposing team.
NB This won't work for long (if at all) when the opposing group does talk to each other regularly and frankly enough to let each other know what has been going on. Be warned that people will will think you are a gruff bastard, and will think twice (or even 3 & 4 times) before picking up the phone and talking to you, until trust is established.
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