Judas Project

Have you experienced betrayal in the workplace? Would you like to tell your story? Then I would like to hear from you. Please email your story to betrayalintheoffice@yahoo.com.

I am writing a book on betrayal in the work place and I want to include personal stories to help those who have experienced betrayal share what happened to them the ramifications of the betrayal both to the betrayed and the betrayer and how as the betrayed they were able to move on. The goals for the project include helping all of us learn from each others' experiences and help prevent/eradicate betrayal in the office.

Interpersonal interactions in the office place have frequently been labeled "office politics," and are often characterized as unavoidable. I don't accept this premise. Any time we have human beings interacting, we have interpersonal relationships and should think of them as such and work to have the most positive interpersonal relationships we can as opposed to painting them with the same negative connotations often associated with the ugliness that occurs in the political arena.

Within the interpersonal interactions within the office, the very worst act is that of betraying a confidence. The very worst outcome of betrayal is a worker losing a job as a result of being betrayed. Note that we are not discussing whistle blowing or actions to bring to light a fellow employee's illegal acts. We are talking about sharing hurtful personal information with the intent of showing flaws in an individual's character that can lead management to see that individual in a negative light.

While my research suggests that persons betrayed may have made errors in judgment that put them in a vulnerable spot, many of those who paid the price for sharing personal information, which resulted in a range of negative job actions, would not have received any negative job actions without their own personal Judas betraying them.

So while we should always and be judicious in what we share about ourselves, we should not have to be worried about coworkers gathering information to use against us. I believe that the work I am doing on the Judas project can assist in making the workplace a kinder, gentler, environment for all of us. While I don't advocate complete transparency and free talk, I do believe we need to work in safe environments where a reasonable amount of personal disclosure enhances our interpersonal relationships and does not provide ammunition for the gun aimed at our back.

I would appreciate receiving your comments and your story at betrayalintheoffice@yahoo.com.

God Bless