Bully at work -How to Deal with itThe bully at work. I think it is fairly common and we just don’t know how to deal with it! I had a boss named Dale who was from a bygone era…where young men would challenge one another to fistfights to settle their differences…and somehow he would feel as if it was a cleansing experience to rid the team of tension. He would brag about how morale was always something that had to be in check for people to be productive. Team meetings were held in a dive bar with no holds barred venting. He would encourage us to take turns telling everyone at the table what we didn’t like about them. Essentially, it was like a roast wherein the poor person might have to listen to 10 people discuss what they thought were weaknesses…one by one..all 10 people would get their shot. Those left out of the roasting were not entirely spared..they would have to pick up the bar tab! A bar tab for a dozen people was no small thing and even if you split it amongst 5 or 6 people it was steep. The bar was a degrading affair and the clientele would stare at us in our shiny suits as they routinely came to our table to bum cigarettes and ask for money….they had their comeuppance when they would eavesdrop on the roast. The bully was no better in the office, he would stand in front of the whiteboard containing a list of all company employees (not just his team) and put dots next to their name if he wanted them fired or a circle next to their name if he felt they were “eligible” for dot status. He menaced people throughout the day and never actually created anything..just kind of marshaled his team of guys. When asked to produce work that he ultimately knew how to do but refused, he had one of his underlings do it. He became widely known for wandering the hall with scissors waiting to cut your phone cord (while you were on the phone) if you were late to a meeting with him. He offered bounty hunter lunches to young men if they did his dirty work…which may consist of putting your files outside or taking the air out of your tires… Dale had everyone on edge…and even the people who scared the rest of the staff were afraid of him…the whole company stood outside the president’s office the day he was fired to show their support for the quivering president. We all recovered but I have never forgotten how one person can hold dozens of people hostage with their mere suggestion of craziness. Dale went on to another company that gave him a great title and numerous perks…he will continue to send people out in the snow to get him his tobacco chew and they will do it…not because it is fair..but because it is easier. The office bully is different than the garden variety bully…you cannot escape from him! "bully at work" written by Ken Bownes "bully at work" blogHave A Story About This Topic?Share it! "bully at work" - Most read articles |
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