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134 SNAKES IN SUITS
times outright false, but I never wanted—I think none of us
wanted—to call her on her lies. For a time she was entertaining. I
can’t laugh at her antics now; at best I think she’s a sad case.” After a
pause, this coworker continued, “but that is giving her a lot more
credit than she deserves—she’s a snake.”
the or ganiz ational police
Some individuals have policing roles in organizations; jobs designed to
maintain order and control. They may work in human resources, security,
auditing, and quality control, among other functions. They are
necessary to the smooth running of any organization, but they pose a
threat to corporate cons, who try to avoid them as long as they can.
Should someone in a policing role suspect that something is amiss, his
or her job is to confront the person and/or expose the behavior to
higher management. Many of these policing individuals have excellent
critical thinking and investigative skills and are charged with a special
responsibility, typically fostered by professional and personal ethics
and moral values.
Although few in number, and rarely interacting on a daily basis
with the psychopath, these staff members were particularly astute
when it came to their suspicions. “This guy is no good,” said the auditor
who reviewed expense reports. “I don’t trust her; she’s too good
to be true,” said the employment supervisor who conducted one of
the initial interviews. “Bad vibes,” said the security manager. “I’m
going to watch him for a while.”
In corporate settings, people in these functions are sometimes referred
to as the organizational police. While many may cringe when
referred to by that name, their role, much like their municipal police
counterparts, is to protect the organization and its members. We believe
that by being on the lookout for deceitful and possibly illegal
behavior, such as lying, cheating, bullying, and stealing, these individuals
have the ability to uncover psychopathic manipulation early
on. Unfortunately, in at least some of the cases we reviewed, the organizational
police were unable to effect much improvement. Beyond
making known their observations, collecting information on