There's no doubt about it, the bully's bite is hard.
Besides adding to the stress and dread of coworkers and low morale, workplace bullies can cost their companies significant amounts of money.
The hidden cost of ignoring the bully's behavior may not be apparent at first, but eventually there may be telltale signs:
And if filed, lawsuits are expensive.
The bully is the hidden cost of someone's not paying attention.
That "someone" is usually the boss or manager.
You know the saying about hiding your head in the sand? Some managers adopt that motto as their management style.
Others may actually be aware of the office bully's behavior and ignore it because the bully gets things done.
Because of this, some managers tolerate their behavior at any cost.
In either situation, ignoring this problem is a sure way to float down the river of denial in the belief that those white water rapids ahead are as peaceful and calm as a child's wading pool.
Wrong! So, what's a manager to do? Don't managers have enough responsibility already? Isn't this just one more thing to contend with? If you don't give "it" any attention, maybe "it" will just wear itself out and disappear, won't it? Nope.
People problems left unaddressed grow in direct proportion to any and all attempts to ignore them.
That's a law of human nature.
OK, then, what does a manager do in the face of such contention? First, take a breath.
Get your head is out of the sand and acknowledge that something is wrong.
Now you have to take action.
Remember, a big part of your job is to effectively guide and model people's performance.
Walk yourself through the following process before you say or do anything.
DO YOUR HOMEWORK The more you know about the offending employee's work history and habits, the better.
Document the problems you have heard about and observed.
Do this objectively.
If your company has policies in place, review and follow them.
In the event your company doesn't have written policies, speak with your immediate supervisor.
Don't allow the problem to escalate.
Your job isn't to play lone ranger.
Problem employees and those who bully others are a disruption to everyone in the workplace and a detriment to the goals and objectives of their departments.
In addition to documenting the problem, you may want to review your own managerial relationship with the offending employee.
If you haven't managed this employee's work performance, you may have closed your eyes to problems he or she is causing others.
If that's the case, you have become part of the problem.
The manager's role is to provide the criteria for the level of work performance required, and to monitor and support the employee's progress.
An employee willing to change their behavior, with or without professional help - and makes progress in their turnaround is to be supported.
However, in the event that an employee continues to exhibit hostile bullying behavior, a responsible manager has little choice but to terminate employment.
Besides adding to the stress and dread of coworkers and low morale, workplace bullies can cost their companies significant amounts of money.
The hidden cost of ignoring the bully's behavior may not be apparent at first, but eventually there may be telltale signs:
- Someone is sick and doesn't come to work on certain days.
- Someone else develops anxiety and sees a therapist.
- Another coworker may simply leave the company.
And if filed, lawsuits are expensive.
The bully is the hidden cost of someone's not paying attention.
That "someone" is usually the boss or manager.
You know the saying about hiding your head in the sand? Some managers adopt that motto as their management style.
Others may actually be aware of the office bully's behavior and ignore it because the bully gets things done.
Because of this, some managers tolerate their behavior at any cost.
In either situation, ignoring this problem is a sure way to float down the river of denial in the belief that those white water rapids ahead are as peaceful and calm as a child's wading pool.
Wrong! So, what's a manager to do? Don't managers have enough responsibility already? Isn't this just one more thing to contend with? If you don't give "it" any attention, maybe "it" will just wear itself out and disappear, won't it? Nope.
People problems left unaddressed grow in direct proportion to any and all attempts to ignore them.
That's a law of human nature.
OK, then, what does a manager do in the face of such contention? First, take a breath.
Get your head is out of the sand and acknowledge that something is wrong.
Now you have to take action.
Remember, a big part of your job is to effectively guide and model people's performance.
Walk yourself through the following process before you say or do anything.
DO YOUR HOMEWORK The more you know about the offending employee's work history and habits, the better.
Document the problems you have heard about and observed.
Do this objectively.
If your company has policies in place, review and follow them.
In the event your company doesn't have written policies, speak with your immediate supervisor.
Don't allow the problem to escalate.
Your job isn't to play lone ranger.
Problem employees and those who bully others are a disruption to everyone in the workplace and a detriment to the goals and objectives of their departments.
In addition to documenting the problem, you may want to review your own managerial relationship with the offending employee.
If you haven't managed this employee's work performance, you may have closed your eyes to problems he or she is causing others.
If that's the case, you have become part of the problem.
- Do you have an understanding of who this employee is?
- Have you reviewed their progress over the past year?
- What kinds of goals have you set for them in their annual review?
- What goals did the employee set for him or herself? Did they follow through?
- Have you followed up on their progress or lack thereof? Given any feedback or direction?
- Are they being sufficiently challenged or are they over challenged?
- Do they have the right resources, equipment and space needed to do their job well?
- Set aside time to meet and come prepared.
- Ask the employee what they see happening in their work right now, and how they assess their present job performance.
- Have them define a current problem they are experiencing and ask them how they have tried to resolve it.
- Focus on the subjective performance issues, ie.
, work attitude, communication skills, collaboration, accountability.
Employees are responsible for their behavior and attitudes. - Don't play games with the bullying issue.
Be respectful, direct and clear in communicating what you have observed or heard. - Listen in response for what's not being said.
- State the company's policy in dealing with bullying behavior and outline expectations for improvement.
- Inform the employee that you will be follow-up on the issues that have been discussed.
Make it clear that bullying behavior is not acceptable and will not be tolerated. - Pay careful attention to what happens after this meeting.
Sometimes bullies retaliate out of anger.
Be on the watch for any signs of this behavior and take immediate action if you see it. - Keep your supervisor or manager informed, and keep very accurate notes!
The manager's role is to provide the criteria for the level of work performance required, and to monitor and support the employee's progress.
An employee willing to change their behavior, with or without professional help - and makes progress in their turnaround is to be supported.
However, in the event that an employee continues to exhibit hostile bullying behavior, a responsible manager has little choice but to terminate employment.
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