16 ways to sabotage the work of the CIA

In 1944, the Office of Strategic Services - the predecessor of the CIA - circulated a classified pamphlet. It contained instructions for residents of the countries of the Nazi bloc who sympathized with the countries of the anti-Hitler coalition. All recommendations were aimed at disrupting production.

"Simple Workplace Sabotage Techniques" was declassified in 2008 and can now be found on the CIA website. This is an instruction for ordinary people, which is designed to weaken the power of the countries of the Nazi bloc and reduce the pace of production in all areas.

If you look at the instructions in general, it becomes clear: it is very easy to turn into a bad employee.

We have selected the most interesting quotes from this brochure. Despite the dryness of the tongue and the specificity of the context, all the tips below describe the usual behavior of workers in every office and in any production.

Check if any of your colleagues are following this instruction.

Workflow Tips

Insist that everything happens through the conditioned channels. Don't look for easy ways, discourage quick decisions.
Make speeches. Speak as often and for as long as possible. Illustrate your ideas with long anecdotes and personal examples.
If possible, resolve issues with the participation of committees, send problems for further study and consideration. Try to make sure that the committee has as many people as possible - at least five people.
Raise irrelevant questions as often as possible.
Demand the most precise wording during a conversation, in minutes and resolutions.
Insist on re-examining the issue, go back to what was already decided at the last meeting.
Encourage others to be reasonable, careful, and avoid haste. This may lead to difficulties or problems in the future.

Leadership Tips

Determine which of your employees does the most basic and insignificant job. Come up with important tasks and put these colleagues in charge. Give preference to the most ineffective employees.
Insist on completing the assignment flawlessly. Make those who made the slightest mistakes redo it again.
To lower team spirit, promote those who work the least. Be supportive of the most ineffective workers.
Arrange a conference at a time when the number of urgent tasks has reached a critical level.
Increase the number of procedures and instructions related to wages. At least three people must approve all those documents that one employee could handle.

Employee tips

Work slowly.
Increase the number of breaks to the maximum.
Do your job badly. Blame it on tools, machinery or equipment. Complain that all of this is interfering with your normal work.
Never share experience or skills with someone who lacks them.

Full instructions on how to be a bad worker can be found here.