How to Sabotage Your Company
Video Transcript
In 1944, the Office of Strategic Services — what later became the CIA — released a Simple Sabotage Field Manual during World War II.
A copy can be found at this link.
But here’s the twist: it wasn’t meant for spies or soldiers. It was meant for ordinary people — factory workers, managers, and office staff — who lived in enemy territory.
The OSS manual, dated January 17, 1944, was designed to teach “simple sabotage.” No bombs, no guns — just confusion, inefficiency, and frustration.
The idea was that ordinary citizens could cripple the enemy’s war machine simply by slowing things down.
And the methods? Let’s just say, they sound a lot like what happens in bad companies today.
Here’s what the OSS recommended for bringing any organization to a grinding halt:
- Hold endless meetings. Talk constantly, debate everything, and never reach a decision.
- Insist on written procedures for everything. Demand paperwork, signatures, approvals, and memos for the simplest tasks.
- Refer every issue to a committee. Let “group decisions” drag on until no one remembers the original question.
- Misplace or delay materials. Route things to the wrong department, or “forget” to order critical parts.
- Follow rules literally. If a rule says to fill out form A before form B, do exactly that — even if it stops production.
- Hire or promote the least capable employees. Reward incompetence, frustrate talent, and morale will collapse.
- Complain and gossip. Spread rumors, stir conflict, and make everyone distrust management.
- Slow down your work — just a little. Not enough to get fired… just enough to make sure nothing gets done on time.
In many organizations, sabotage happens unintentionally — through poor communication, bureaucratic overload, or leaders who value compliance over creativity.
A few employees who overthink, delay, or constantly second-guess decisions can quietly drain profit, morale, and momentum — all without meaning to.
In my career as a forensic accountant, I’ve seen employees sabotage their own companies in desperate attempts to cover up fraud. The problem for them is simple: I uncover it, document it, and send them exactly where they belong—prison.
The Bookkeeper Who Created Chaos to Cover His Tracks
Late payroll, “glitches,” unexplained vendor credits — and a $475,000 embezzlement uncovered.
A family-owned construction company noticed payroll errors, cash flow issues, and constant vendor complaints. The internal bookkeeper blamed:
- Software glitches
- Banking errors
- “Bad files” from the payroll company
The CPA That Stole Millions
Compromised client records, investments, tax returns, and insurance policies.
The CPA sold the client numerous complex investment products, which underperformed compared to a low-cost S&P 500 fund. These investments included hidden fees and commissions that were paid back to the CPA.
Additionally, complicated insurance policies were sold, with the CPA retaining entire payments — up to $125,000 per month — for supposedly large policies that actually did not exist.
A forensic accountant investigated these investments and insurance products, uncovering hundreds of thousands of dollars in monthly theft.
If you’re a business owner or executive, here’s what to look for:
- Cell phone voicemails always full
- Always talking about how busy they are
- Check their desk garbage can; if it’s empty, they may not be doing much work
- Departments where meetings outnumber results
- Managers who always say, “Let’s wait for more data”
- Employees who follow every rule but accomplish nothing
- People who constantly “lose” documents, emails, or invoices
- A culture where complaining replaces problem-solving
These are the red flags. They’re not just inefficiencies — they’re signs of internal sabotage.
The OSS created this manual to destroy enemy operations from the inside.
But if you recognize these same patterns in your company — you can reverse-engineer the sabotage.
Simplify decision-making. Empower your best people. Eliminate useless meetings. And reward results, not red tape.
Because the most dangerous enemies of your business might not be competitors — they might be working right down the hall.