Have You Ever Been " Duped " By A Sociopath ???

I have run across the term “cat’s paw” just recently. It comes supposedly from an old Aesop’s fable that was adapted by Frenchman Jean de La Fontaine under the title Le Singe et le Chat that appeared in the second collection of his Fables in 1679. It tells the story of a cat that was convinced to pull chestnuts out of a fire by a monkey supposedly to share, however the cat never got its share. The fable became wide spread as a lesson in not becoming an unknowing dupe.

                                Don't be the HR Cat

Here is the post that described across the concept of a “cat’s paw” action in HR.

HR is often the Dupe

In the description of the case they used the term “cat’s paw.” that comes in a fable in which a monkey convinces a cat to reach into a fire to retrieve roasting chestnuts. The cat does so, gets its paw singed and the monkey gets all the chestnuts. The cat was duped into being the tool of the monkey, keeping the monkey from getting burned.

Likewise in the most decisions the HR was the cat’s paw of the supervisor. The supervisor, by not giving all the information, duped the HR into making a decision that the supervisor did not want to make or could not make, but wanted that result. The HR , by being remote did not know of previous bias against the employee or favoritism for other employees. The HR did not do his/her homework in the case.

The result of this shows that the company can still be held liable for decisions made with good intentions.This means that HR need to thoroughly investigate before making recommendations on terminations, others etc. As a HR our line of questioning always comes back to “Is there any reason to suspect that there may be some bias in this situation?” Ask that question several times, several ways.

So avoid being a “cat’s paw” in situations. Don’t allow yourself to be duped into making a decision to justify someone else bias.


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