When It's OK to Lie to Your Boss
Honest is the best policy, right? Wrong. There are plenty of good reasons to lie to your boss and some of them are even to your boss's advantage.
Of course, bosses insist that you should always tell them the truth. And they get royally annoyed when you don't. Even so, you've got an obligation to yourself, and even to your firm, to keep some truths to yourself.
Here are ten situations where dishonesty is (by far) the best policy:
- SITUATION #1: When You're Looking for Another Job. This is a no-brainer. You have a right to look for another job without suffering the consequences. If it gets out that you're looking, you'll lose status and power, and might even get fired before you find the job you want. So go ahead and tell any lies that you need to tell in order to keep your job-search secret.
- SITUATION #2: When You're Protecting Co-workers. If you know some dirt on your co-workers, you owe it to them to keep it quiet, even if the boss asks. This isn't to say that you should be covering up crime but if, for instance, you're aware that Joe called in sick because he partied too hard the night before, it's not your job to be the office tattletale.
- SITUATION #3: When Lying is Part of Your Job Description. Some jobs, specifically public relations and advertising, involve a certain amount of bending the truth. If you're out there trying to spin a story or hype a product, it makes you look like a toad if you get all cynical when you're talking to your boss. Better to keep the story straight than try to keep it real.
- SITUATION #4: When the Truth Makes Your Boss Ineffective. Your boss is a human being and subject to human emotions. If your boss is about to make a big presentation or cut an important deal, it is not the time to reveal unpleasant truths that might distract him from successful execution. If he asks, it's best to put him off, even if you know the answer.
- SITUATION #5: When Your Boss Asks About His Appearance. This is analogous to when a wife asks her husband: "Do I look fat in this?" Even if the answer is "you always look fat because you're fat," the only appropriate answer is the famous lie: "You never look fat." Same thing with a boss. If he dresses like a clown, you're still not his fashion consultant. Lie like a dog.
- SITUATION #6: When Your Boss Tells a Joke. One of perks of being a boss is that everybody has to laugh at your jokes. So even if you're hearing the joke for the tenth time, and it wasn't funny when you heard it the first time, you must lie and emit some kind of chuckle. Just don't overdo it. If you ROFLYAO, it might seem sarcastic.
- SITUATION #7: When Your Boss Asks for An Honest Opinion. Most of the time, a request of this type has to do with the boss's pet project. If the boss is truly committed to it, and isn't likely to be persuaded by anything you say, your best bet is to just lie and be complimentary, even if you think the idea is utterly stupid. If it's that bad, let HIS boss puncture the balloon.
- SITUATION #8: When Your Boss Consistently Lies To You. There is an implicit contract between human beings that what goes around comes around. If your boss, or indeed your firm, is constantly telling lies about raises, layoffs, work hours, etc. they've broken that contract. In that case, you really don't owe them your honesty any longer.
- SITUATION #9: When There's a Penalty for Telling the Truth. If your boss is the kind of person who shoots the messenger, you have no obligation to be the messenger that gets shot. Better to set up somebody else, like an underling or (better yet) a rival, to take the heat. Figure out how to sandwich your bad news inside their presentation.
- SITUATION #10: When It's None of His Damn Business. If your boss is nosy about your religion, your politics, your personal life, or your sexual orientation, you have no obligation to fill him in on the details. The best answer (i.e. lie) is: "I work on Sundays, work on voting day, and work so hard that I have no time for a personal life, much less a sex life."