Dear J.T. & Dale: I read with great interest your column regarding harassment on the job. I think you should also write about workplace bullying. Research indicates that 37 percent of U.S. workers are bullied. I was the target of bullying, and made the painful decision to leave a job that was my passion. Although I reported the problem, my employer never took me seriously. How can the “target” convince the employer that this is a serious situation? - Cindy
Dale: One of my favorite workplace principles is relevant here: “With a good boss there are no bad jobs; with a bad boss there are no good jobs.” Wise employees seek out great bosses, ones who will help them learn, evolve and prosper.
J.T.: I trust you’re going to get around to the issue of bullying.
Dale: Here’s the point: Bullying is awful, but it’s just another form of incompetence. The wise employee will make a graceful arabesque away from a bully, and also away from the nice-guy, do-nothing bureaucrat or the sweet, mothering nitwit. It’s a shame that not all bosses are great bosses, but only 10 percent can be in the top 10 percent, no matter what policies are or are not written.
J.T.: I recently heard of one person who experienced bullying and decided to seek out a new job. When she went to her exit interview with HR, she confided that the main reason for her departure was a bully. She also mentioned that should he ever leave the company, she would love to come back. Here’s the good news: It turns out she wasn’t the first person who chose to leave because of the same manager. The company was tired of the turnover and ended up firing the bully and asking the woman to stay. I know this isn’t the norm, but at least it’s good to hear of one success. Perhaps our readers can share their stories by posting their thoughts at www.jtanddale.com.
Dale: The first place to look for a great boss is in the company you’re working for. If you look around, and all you find is a culture of negativity, then you know you have to look elsewhere. Many people resist making a so-called lateral move to a job with a similar title and pay, but when you move to high-quality management, you’re trading up to a better future.
January 4th, 2009 at 4:00 pm
Setting boundaries is really important if you’re working for a bully - or if a co-worker is a bully. Typically, this type of person terrorizes the weakest. Clear, even blunt, communication often sends them scurrying to someone else. The downside is a new job is a must - there’s no fixing a bully.
March 13th, 2009 at 12:58 am
There is much that could be said about workplace bullying. The texts I’ve read and my own experience indicate that the victims of bullying are usually the most reliable and most productive workers, not the weakest, but actually the strongest employees. Usually those employees are also the kindest and most tolerant of others who do not live up to expectations. For over 2 and a half years I was the target of a bully in the Respiratory Care Dept. at St. Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise, Idaho. The real problem of bullying in the workplace, as I learned the hard way, is negligent and defective management. I was diagnosed with PTSD by my employer, and reported the PTSD injury to management more than two dozen times over a period of app. two years and never received a response addressing the injury. Bad management refuses to hear what they don’t want to hear or want to deal with. Perhaps they were simply incapable of addressing the problem. I write about my experience under the title Workplace Psychological Abuse on my blog The Cambium Level at http://www.leonardnolt.blogspot.com, if you are interested in more information. The writer is correct who said that a great boss can make all the difference. Unfortunately great bosses are even rarer than great politicians. Thanks for the dialogue.
Leonard Nolt
http://www.leonardnolt.blogspot.com
LeonardNolt@AOL.com
July 27th, 2014 at 10:47 am
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