How to Identify Employee Manipulation: A Guide for Managers
As a manager, one of your key responsibilities is to foster a healthy, productive work environment. Most of your employees will be honest, hard-working, and aligned with the goals of the team. However, there may be times when you encounter manipulation tactics from employees—whether intentional or not—that can undermine trust, disrupt team dynamics, and derail productivity.
Employee manipulation can take many forms, from subtle power plays to more overt attempts to avoid responsibilities or take advantage of others. Recognizing these behaviors early is crucial to maintaining a positive workplace and keeping team morale high.
Here’s how to identify employee manipulation and address it before it causes long-term damage.
1. The “Over-Promiser” Who Under-Delivers
One common form of manipulation is when an employee over-promises on their abilities or workload and then consistently under-delivers. This employee might enthusiastically take on tasks, say they’ll hit every deadline, and assure you that everything is under control—but when it’s time to deliver, they fall short. This type of manipulation can be an attempt to appear competent and indispensable while avoiding accountability for missed expectations.
Signs to Watch For:
Regularly enthusiastic commitments followed by missed deadlines or poor-quality work.
Excuses or justifications for why they couldn’t meet their promises.
Shifting blame onto others or external circumstances when things go wrong.
How to Handle It: Set clear, measurable expectations and deadlines for projects. If the employee continues to under-deliver, have a candid conversation about their performance. Document these conversations and follow up with performance improvement plans if necessary.
2. The Chronic Excuse Maker
Excuses are a classic manipulation tactic used by employees who want to avoid taking responsibility for their actions. This employee always has a reason why something didn’t get done: they had too much on their plate, they didn’t get the information they needed, or a colleague dropped the ball. Over time, their consistent excuse-making allows them to avoid accountability and shift responsibility onto others.
Signs to Watch For:
A pattern of excuses or justifications whenever there’s a mistake or missed deadline.
Blaming external factors or colleagues for their own shortcomings.
The employee seems resistant to constructive feedback or refuses to accept responsibility.
How to Handle It: During performance reviews or check-ins, focus on the patterns of behavior rather than individual excuses. Address the issue head-on, outlining how their lack of accountability impacts the team. Encourage a culture of ownership where employees take responsibility for their actions.
3. The “Divide and Conquer” Tactician
This employee manipulates by creating division among colleagues or playing one manager against another to gain favor or avoid responsibility. They might pit coworkers against each other by spreading rumors, withholding information, or creating an “us vs. them” mentality. Alternatively, they may try to get a more lenient manager on their side when facing feedback from another.
Signs to Watch For:
Regularly gossiping about colleagues or spreading negativity.
Complaints about specific managers or coworkers in an attempt to sway your opinion.
Trying to undermine team unity or fuel disagreements.
How to Handle It: Address gossip and divisive behavior directly. Encourage transparency and open communication among team members. If the employee is manipulating manager relationships, make sure all feedback is shared and aligned across management to prevent them from playing one person against another.
4. The Victim Player
Some employees manipulate by casting themselves as perpetual victims. Whether it’s work stress, personal life challenges, or unfair treatment from others, this employee is always the one being wronged. They use their victim status to avoid difficult tasks, seek leniency, or deflect criticism. While empathy is important, repeated claims of being a victim can become manipulative when used as an excuse for poor performance or behavior.
Signs to Watch For:
The employee regularly positions themselves as a victim in situations, even minor ones.
Frequent complaints about unfair treatment, despite no objective signs of bias or mistreatment.
They expect leniency or special treatment due to personal hardships.
How to Handle It: Show empathy, but set clear boundaries. Acknowledge any genuine challenges they’re facing, but reinforce the need for professional accountability. If necessary, offer support like employee assistance programs (EAPs) or counseling resources, but maintain clear expectations for work performance.
5. The “Rule Bender”
This employee bends or skirts around the rules, policies, and procedures to suit their own needs. They might not follow through on attendance policies, deadlines, or company guidelines, and they often try to negotiate or justify why they deserve special treatment. Manipulation occurs when they push boundaries with the expectation that they won’t face consequences.
Signs to Watch For:
Frequent requests for exceptions to rules or policies.
“Stretching” the rules when it benefits them, such as bending time-off policies or taking liberties with remote work flexibility.
Arguing or negotiating whenever asked to adhere to standard procedures.
How to Handle It: Set firm boundaries and communicate that policies are in place for a reason. Address any breaches of protocol immediately, and apply consequences consistently across the board to avoid favoritism. If the behavior persists, follow up with corrective action or disciplinary measures.
6. The Flatterer
Flattery can be a subtle form of manipulation, particularly if an employee uses compliments or excessive praise to gain favor with you or other managers. While there’s nothing wrong with an occasional compliment, it becomes manipulative when the employee is using it to curry favor, avoid criticism, or sidestep accountability. They may try to butter you up before requesting special treatment or before a difficult conversation about their performance.
Signs to Watch For:
Constant compliments, especially right before they ask for something.
Flattery that seems insincere or overly frequent.
They often avoid tough conversations by distracting with praise.
How to Handle It: Acknowledge the compliments but keep the focus on the task at hand. If they start using flattery to avoid accountability, steer the conversation back to the issue at hand and stay objective in your feedback.
7. The Emotional Manipulator
Some employees manipulate by using emotional tactics, such as emotional outbursts, exaggerated distress, or guilt-tripping. They might cry, sulk, or get visibly upset in response to constructive criticism or when asked to complete certain tasks. While it’s important to support your team emotionally, emotional manipulation can disrupt the workplace and unfairly shift focus away from professional responsibilities.
Signs to Watch For:
Emotional outbursts or exaggerated reactions when facing criticism or challenges.
Using guilt or emotional distress to avoid tasks or feedback.
Expecting special treatment or leniency due to emotional displays.
How to Handle It: Remain calm and composed when faced with emotional manipulation. Acknowledge their feelings but shift the conversation back to the performance issue or task at hand. If emotional manipulation becomes disruptive, offer resources like EAPs but hold them accountable to the same performance standards as the rest of the team.
Final Thoughts
Employee manipulation can take many forms, and recognizing the signs early is key to keeping your team functioning smoothly. Address manipulative behavior directly, enforce clear boundaries, and apply consistent consequences. By staying alert and proactive, you can prevent manipulation from negatively affecting your team’s morale and productivity.
Remember, setting clear expectations and fostering an open, transparent workplace culture is the best defense against manipulation. When employees understand that performance and accountability are valued above all else, there’s less room for manipulation to thrive.
