There’s been a massive media focus on bullying. It’s fair to say that where there are bullies in business there will be a toxic working environment, high staff turnover and employees with low morale. Bullies are not always visible and recognised as tyrants and certain behaviours may be hidden or have become tolerated, therefore the problem can be hard to identify.
Facts on Bullying
Although, there is no standard definition of bullying in the workplace, there are recognisable traits. According to the Health and Safety Executive, bullying involves negative behaviour targeted at an individual, or individuals, repeatedly and persistently over time. They note such behaviour is on the rise in the UK.
68% said the behaviour was 'subtle', such as leaving colleagues out
One in 20 said they had witnessed physical violence between workmates
Shouting, shoving, intimidation and threatening behaviour were all reported
Almost six in 10 people have witnessed or suffered bullying in the workplace
When you consider media coverage of the issue of bullying, it tends to be described in simplistic terms but it’s a complex issue. It speaks to leadership styles, organisational culture, employee engagement and wellbeing. In general terms there are some common traits when examining bullying in business.
Here are the 4 common styles of bullying:
The Explosive Tornado
The bully is aggressive and explosive. He or she may openly shout, swear and insult when they feel something is wrong. They generate fear by being explosive, disrespectful and unpredictable. People tend to feel as if they have to walk on egg shells in order not to experience their bad side and to avoid embarrassment. The organisation may condone this behaviour, so it continues unchecked.
The Secret Assassin
A bully with covert tactics can escape notice. The bullying behaviour can be backbiting, gossiping, and underhand tactics that are usually hidden. He/she may make barbed comments about colleagues, sabotage in various sneaky ways that may initially seem plausible. The end result for victims is a bad atmosphere, diminished trust, reputational damage and low morale.
This bullying style is very undermining. It can be carried by a manager or peer. On the face of it, they may appear to be great friendly colleagues. But there is usually more to this type of behaviour and it tends to be a pattern. These individuals enjoy witnessing the mistakes of their victims and even when the mistake is not common knowledge they openly correct and draw attention to flaws and mistakes.
This can lead to the ‘victim’ becoming defined by these. This bully tends to be silent or low key when it comes to praise. It can eventually create self-doubt in the individual(s) being bullied.
The Insidious Isolator
This is a sinister form of bullying that relies on mind games to isolate individuals. The bully here may be charming and polite but relentless in the attempt to isolate. This includes leaving them off important communications, not inviting them to events, praising the achievements of others but ignoring their accomplishments. These behaviours can be highly stressful and cause the gradual erosion of trust, confidence and wellbeing.
Of course , bullying can involve an awful combination of all 4 of these. There is no place for bullying in the workplace. It not only erodes productivity, performance and reputation, it can have a devastating impact on the long term psychological well-being of those effected.
Thankfully there are laws to protect against a culture of harassment and intimidation and victims have legal redress. Every organisation should have the right policies and procedures in place to deal with all allegations of bullying. Where there are undercurrents and a toxic culture, it may be hard to pinpoint bullying as an issue. It can also be so embedded that it takes an expert to come in to reveal blind spots and tensions. Managers, leaders and teams can be supported with training, and carefully designed workshops that can build a culture of trust, collaborative working and enhanced productivity.
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