Bullying at work on the increase
Or so the reports and surveys tell us. What we do know is that where bullying exists, trust does not. We also know that innovation requires openness and trust. So what do we really have in our organisations – innovation OR bullying?
Are you being bullied at work – or are you a work place bully?
As employers we have a responsibility to our employees, customers and suppliers for them to be respected and not bullied in any way. To deliver on that responsibility we need to first recognise when bullying is taking place.
It is said that half the population are bullied (not all at work)… most only realise it when they read articles like this.
How to spot a workplace bully:
| Bad (ineffective) Manager/ Team Leader | Good(effective) Manager/ Team Leader |
| Bully / Coward | Leader |
| Random/ impulsive | Decisive |
| Rigid/ short term | Identifies short & long term goals |
| Abdicates responsibility | Accepts responsibility |
| Takes all the credit | Shares credit |
| Denies failings | Acknowledges failings |
| Inability to learn or change ways | Learns from experience |
| Inconsistent | Consistent |
| Critical, singles people out | Fair, treats people equally |
| Disrespectful and inconsiderate | Respectful & considerate |
Bullying is often characterised as offencive, intimidating or insulting behaviour, an abuse of power through means intended to undermine, humiliate or denigrate the recipient.
Harassment is unwanted behaviour affecting the dignity of an individual in the workplace. It may be related to sex, age, religion, race, disability or personal preferences of the individual. It may be persistent or a one off incident.
What is bullying?
What is bullying?
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How to recognise a bully:
How do I recognise a bully?Most bullying is traceable to one person, male or female – bullying is not a gender issue. Bullies are often clever people (especially female bullies) but you can be clever too. Who does this describe in your life?
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Taking action at work to stop bullying:
Creating an anti-bullying ethos
Developing an anti-bullying policy is part of a wider commitment to ensuring a safe and productive work environment and a healthy workplace. Creating an anti-bullying ethos is a comprehensive and challenging objective which needs to be carefully thought through and understood before you start. This like any other organisational development strategy will require stakeholder buy-in and time to develop and implement. Like all change their will be some that welcome it and others that will not (use some of the tools in our change management sections). Often it will be the perpetrators that create the biggest resistance to this change. Be consistent, and seek help from professionals that are experienced in this area.
Bottom Line
All staff will perform better and more effectively in an environment in which trust exists. If we want innovation, we cannot have any form of bullying or harassment – as an organisation we have a choice – innovate and survive or don’t and die eventually – we cannot have widespread innovation where bullying exists.
Many of our organisations are striving to develop the innovative capacity of our people, however to have a culture of innovation requires openness and trust – bullying is symptom of a culture which cannot sustain openness and trust.
For more information please visit http://www.bullyonline.org/workbully/index.htm and support the organisation by purchasing their resources
John Coleman says
06/07/2012 at 18:08RT @247tweet: Bullying at work, recognising it & its impact on innovation. #article http://t.co/xAEyy3eA
Honey Berk says
06/07/2012 at 14:02Bullying at work, recognising it & its impact on innovation. #article http://t.co/Lky60BMR
Chris Spada says
06/07/2012 at 13:50@Chris_Rinaldi thought this article might amuse you: http://t.co/o13YqkU2 note the breakdown chart
Thabo Mophiring says
06/07/2012 at 13:50kills it RT @RapidBI RT @247tweet Bullying at work, recognising it & its impact on innovation. #article http://t.co/Dhw3HcVF
Mike says
06/04/2012 at 11:55Interesting article: http://t.co/WdRKjQnl
theLBSS says
21/02/2012 at 20:25Useful Blog post: http://t.co/kjG0rT86 #rapidbi
theLBSS says
21/12/2011 at 02:00Useful Blog post: http://t.co/kjG0rT86 #rapidbi
Mike says
02/09/2010 at 21:00Interesting blog post: https://rapidbi.com/bullying-at-work-recognising-it-its-impact-on-innovation/
Mike says
08/07/2010 at 12:15Interesting article: https://rapidbi.com/bullying-at-work-recognising-it-its-impact-on-innovation/
Mike says
27/06/2010 at 19:55Reading article: https://rapidbi.com/bullying-at-work-recognising-it-its-impact-on-innovation/
Dr Bruce Hoag says
21/01/2010 at 07:20While it’s commendable that the writer has addressed an area that is all too common in the workplace, he has further confused the issue. To comment on every instance would require a separate article. (I wrote 4500 words over three newsletters on this subject.) However, I think that it’s important to comment on the most glaring problems. Here are just a few:
1. Not all bullies are impulsive. Decisive behavior can be just as impulsive.
2. Bullies are not the only ones who don’t take responsibility for what they do. There are plenty of milque-toast managers in the workplace today who do exactly the same thing.
3. Bullies are seldom guilty of lacking the will or the ability to change their ways. In fact, the opposite is true. They are particularly able to adapt themselves to a given situation to get what they want. It’s the died-in-the-wool managers who do things the way they’ve always done it.
4. Constant nit-picking is not limited to bullies. There are plenty of people in the workplace today who micro-manage others; but that does not make them bullies.
5. Not all “control-freaks” are bullies. It has more to do with the way you’re wired. Those who have a propensity towards linear (i.e. step-by-step thinking) are more likely to strive for absolute control over their surroundings than those who think in a global, big-picture kind of way. Both ways of thinking are legitimate; but one does not make someone a bully.
I want to encourage all of you to become critical thinkers. No matter how comprehensive an opinion seems to be, you must ask yourself if it makes sense. Play the Devil’s advocate. Ask yourself what circumstances would lead you to the opposite conclusions from what you’ve just read.
Dr Bruce Hoag, CPsychol
Work Psychologist
http://www.p-advantage.com/Newsletter.php
DiHaynes says
08/12/2009 at 18:29RT @RapidBI Bullying at work, recognising it & its impact on innovation and then some?
The McClain GroupLLC says
08/12/2009 at 01:39RT @RspectfulWkplce: RT @ericapinskyinc Another good summary on what bullying is and how to recognize it #workplace …
Working Mother says
07/12/2009 at 23:44RT @RspectfulWkplce: Another good summary on what bullying is and how to recognize it #workplacebullying
Respectful Workplace says
07/12/2009 at 23:02RT @ericapinskyinc Another good summary on what bullying is and how to recognize it #workplacebullying
Erica Pinsky says
07/12/2009 at 23:02Another good summary on what bullying is and how to recognize it bullying
Erica Pinsky says
07/12/2009 at 18:02#workplace bullying – good summary on what bullying is and how to recognize it
Leah MacVie says
05/12/2009 at 14:06RT @rapidbi: New Blog post – bullying at work, & what can be done
tony fox says
05/12/2009 at 14:03RT @rapidbi: New Blog post – bullying at work, & what can be done
Paula Jones MCT says
05/12/2009 at 11:58RT @Rapidbi Bullying at work, recognising it & its impact on innovation: Bullying at work on the inc..
Neil Ryder says
05/12/2009 at 11:54New blog from friend Bullying at work, recognising it & its impact on innovation I hope it is useful