The Saboteur at Work

The Saboteur at Work describes how unconscious psychological processes can sabotage individual lives, the functioning of groups, teams and organisations, and even global politics.

Drawing on research in the fields of psychology and organisations, this comprehensive yet straightforward and accessible book enables you to understand how the unconscious can impact progress and performance and describes practical techniques you can use to overcome the saboteur, individually and at work. The book discusses the modern understanding of our adaptive unconscious, and you will learn about repression, imposter syndrome and other defence mechanisms. Ideas are brought to life using real-world examples and personal, organisational and national stories. The book explores the mind’s capacity for self-deception by telling the story of Tony Blair and the invasion of Iraq and looks at unconscious processes in organisations, asking what role the saboteur played in huge corporate failures such as the collapse of Barings Bank and the Boeing 737 Max scandal. The saboteur also operates on a larger scale – governments and societies can be sabotaged by this unconscious force. In Nazi Germany, how did normal, decent people behave like monsters, colluding with or actively participating in the murder of innocent people? Why did big US corporates like IBM, Ford and Chrysler work with the Nazis to make the Holocaust possible?

If you manage a team or lead an organisation, you need to understand the role played by the saboteur in your workplace and in your own career and life. This book enables leaders and managers to develop their leadership skills by understanding how the unconscious impacts individual, group and social processes. It will also be of use to coaches and organisational consultants working in the areas of teams and performance.