How to Sabotage an Organization

March 30, 2023

In 1944, the predecessor to the CIA, the Office of Strategic Services wrote a manual (now declassified) called the “simple sabotage field manual.”

Now declassified, the manual was once distributed to OSS officers abroad to assist them in training “citizen-saboteurs” in occupied countries like France.

Listed below are a few of my favorite tips. 

As you read them, ask yourself “when working with global talent and within my organization - how can I create the opposite culture?”

I’m sure you’ll find all sorts of opportunities to improve. Even better, forward this email to your team and say “Are we guilty of any of these guys?

How to Sabotage an Organization from Within

(1) Insist on doing everything through “channels.” Never permit short-cuts to be taken in order to expedite decisions.

(2) Make “speeches.” Talk as frequently as possible and at great length.

(3) When possible, refer all matters to a group meeting, for “further study and consideration.” Attempt to make the groups as large as possible—never less than five.

(4) Bring up irrelevant issues as frequently as possible.

(5) Haggle over precise wordings of communications

(6) Refer back to matters decided upon at the last meeting and attempt to re-open the question of the advisability of that decision.

(7) Demand written instructions for everything.

(8) “Misunderstand” orders. Ask endless questions or engage in long correspondence about such orders. Quibble over them when you can.

(9) Do everything possible to delay the delivery of communications. Even though parts of a communication may be ready beforehand, don’t deliver it until it is completely ready.

(10) In making work assignments, always assign the unimportant jobs first.

(11) Insist on perfect work in relatively unimportant products; send back for refinishing those which have the least flaw. Approve other defective parts whose flaws are not visible to the naked eye.

(12) When training new workers, give incomplete or misleading instructions.

(13) To lower morale and with it, production, be pleasant to inefficient workers; give them undeserved promotions. Discriminate against efficient workers; complain unjustly about their work.

(14) Hold meetings when there is more critical work to be done.

(15) Multiply paper work in plausible ways.

(16) Start duplicate files.

(17) Multiply the procedures and clearances involved in issuing instructions, pay checks, and so on. See that three people have to approve everything where one would do.

(18) Apply all rules to the last letter.

(19) Do your work poorly and blame it on bad tools, machinery, or equipment. Complain that these things are preventing you from doing your job right.

(20) Never pass on your skill and experience to a new or less skillful worker.

(21) Snarl up administration in every possible way. Fill out forms illegibly so that they will have to be done over; make mistakes or omit requested information in forms.

(22) Give lengthy and incomprehensible explanations when questioned.

(23) Act stupid.

(24) Be as irritable and quarrelsome as possible without getting yourself into trouble.

Now, go build a team and organization that does the opposite of all these things!

Yours in outsourcing,

Jon

P.S. - On the road to global talent, are ALL SORTS of secondary benefits. Got this DM from a biz owner who I did some work with earlier in the year. Our work together saved him about $4,000,000 this year. 

SHIT - I should have charged more.

So what are YOU waiting for?

Stop working on your before picture.