The 5 Saboteurs
Each person, depending on their personality, finds certain tasks and activities easier than others.
For example, introverted people generally do not like speaking in public. Extroverts tend to be ill at
ease in over specialized technical jobs where they do not have much contact with other people.
In the same way, people react differently under stress. The more stressed a person is, the more
spontaneous, impulsive and stereotypical their reactions become. These reactions belong to a
type of thought habit called a ‘Saboteur’.
A Saboteur is the spontaneous and generally impulsive reaction of someone under negative stress.
The idea is borrowed from the concept of ‘Personal Drivers’ in transactional analysis. Personal
Drivers are injunctions that condition behavior under stress.
Saboteurs are always perceived as ‘musts’: the person must, has to or is obliged to say or do
something in the moment. People experiencing a Saboteur will find themselves making internal
statements such as: I have to go faster, I have to make this perfect or I have to work harder.
The imperative form is often used and can result in internal statements such as: Hurry up!, Grin
and bear it or It’s not good enough.
As they often appear when people are under stress, Saboteurs can lead to unwanted results. When
a Saboteur is activated, people may focus only on their Saboteur leading them to lose touch with
their surroundings. This can lead them to stop assessing and understanding what is going on and
therefore diminishing efficiency and sabotaging outcomes.
The importance of recognizing our and others people’s Saboteurs is that we can regain control
when they are activated and work to their strengths rather than be driven by them.
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Exercise: My 5 Saboteurs
Comments
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Be
Perfect
Hurry
Up
Please
Others
Try
Harder
- -
Be
Strong
The 5 Saboteurs
Saboteur
Be Perfect
Characteristics
Body Language
A strong need for control
Becomes upset with the slightest imperfection and
does not tolerate mistakes
Works in great detail
Never satisfied with her work
Holds herself straight and
rigid
Serious or severe facial
expressions
Nothing is ever out of place
Verbal
Language
Very clear and precise
Can sound curt and
challenging
“This is the way it
must be done”
Would rather quit than not complete something
perfectly
Hurry Up
Impatient and cannot sit still
Eats fast, walks fast, talks fast and hates to wait
Never has enough time
Work best under pressure
Believes it is quicker for him to do things by himself
versus trying to explain to others how to do it
Please Others
Fidgety – has a hard time
sitting still
Taps fingers or feet
Pressured language
“Hurry up!”
“Come on, let’s go!”
Crosses and uncrosses legs
frequently
Gives priority to other people’s needs over his own
Open arms
Compliant
Is happiest when everyone is happy
Attentive facial expressions
Seductive
Unsure questioning
Prefers to give rather than receive
Does not like to disturb or impose upon others
Has a hard time saying “No”
Adapted from: Donati, C., Le stress intelligent, éd. Demos, Paris, 2002.
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“Is it okay?”
“Of course I can do it –
no problem”
The 5 Saboteurs
Saboteur
Try Harder
Characteristics
Body Language
Has difficulty achieving things
Listening posture
Often wonders if she has what it takes to succeed
Face thrust forward
Believes that success requires hard work – everything Concentrated facial
expressions
is difficult
Never quite ready when time to leave
Needs acknowledgment
Does not like people who slack off
Be Strong
Verbal
Language
Focusing on the
difficulties
“I am trying so hard”
“There is so much
work to do”
“I am doing my best”
Appears to have everything under control
Shut in
Speaks little
Hates to ask for help
Crossed arms and legs
States terms
Hides her emotions and does not like to complain
Impassive facial expression
Monotonous voice
“No comment”
Does not show weaknesses and does not appreciate
those who do
Believes that she must fight to succeed
Adapted from: Donati, C., Le stress intelligent, éd. Demos, Paris, 2002.
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“There is nothing to
discuss”
Exercise: My 5 Saboteurs
Review your scores on the previous page and select the Saboteur that has your highest score – write the
name of the Saboteur on the red line at the top right of the table below (If two Saboteurs are tied for
highest score – select one)
Refer back to the ten statements from the test that correspond to this Saboteur and select one statement
that you perceive as deficit-based and that received a rating of 3 or 4
Write the statement number in the far left column in the table below – write the score for this statement in
the second column from the left – write the actual statement in the third column from the left
Reflect on an alternative asset-based statement that is a reframe of this original deficit-based statement
and that would serve you better – write this statement in the far right column
 The reframed asset-based statement is not necessarily the ‘direct opposite’ of the deficit-based statement
 The reframed asset-based statement is a statement that is authentic to who you are and can serve as a
legitimate alternative to the deficit-based statement
Saboteur:
Statement
#
Score
Original Statement
Deficit-based

- -
Alternative Statement
Asset-based
