Tied of bullies? Here are tips on how to stop them and have peace of mind.
You'd be surprised to find bullying extending beyond high school into workplaces where respect is an unspoken rule. Bullying is alive in offices and it is slowly becoming a major problem in Kenya.
So what does a bully look like in the workplace?
Workplace bullies can be managers or supervisors, low level employees or colleagues. There are four types of workplace bullies:
- The screaming one who is always cursing, yelling or angry. For example think of a colleague who raises her voice and even when you try to explain yourself refuses to listen.
- The one who is always criticizing and embarrassing others. This one never has anything good to say about your work. For instance, that boss who regularly corrects you and no matter what you do , he or she will never accept your effort.
- The watchman: This bully will deliberately make sure you fail by refusing to give you the help you need to do your work well. For example, the supervisor who will give you a lot of work with a short deadline and then give you a poor review.
- The one who pretends to be your friend but is working against you: This person seems to support you but goes to your colleagues and tries to destroy your reputation. For instance, think of that person you think you worked well with in a project then you hear he is telling others you are unreliable.
Can these bullies be stopped?
Bullies will get away with their behaviour because they are often the high performers in a company. However, you can deal with them by speaking up as soon as you notice bullying behaviour. Explain directly to the person why what they said or did was an issue for you.
Write down or record what the person said and how you reacted. For example if you were in a staff meeting and James said something mean, write down what James said, why he said these words and what you said in response. Also say who else was in the meeting. This will help you to give proof of the bullying incidences if you report it.
Talk to your manager to find out if your company has a policy on bullying or abuse to find out the expectations about employee behaviour. Also talk to a lawyer to find out if you are being bullied.
Workplace bullies are not always easy to recognize but once you do, try your best to protect yourself by speaking out as this will prevent them from destroying your emotional and physical health.
