Friends and readers. Since launching our anti workplace bullying campaign,we have received many.many contributions from all walks of life. But one letter to us brought it home to us just how devastating this workplace disease can be.
It tells the story of how a victim of bullying went from a well adjusted person to a shadow,unable to perform his duties ending with a suicide attempt,all because workplace bullying was allowed to take place.
Unfortunately this is all to similar to other bullying victims who have suffered at the hands of an office bully. Undermined,overloaded with work,unmeetable time tables,sent to coventry,humilated in front of colleagues,the list goes on,but it clearly shows the characteristics of the serial bully. Weak,cowardly,and usually an ass licker the office bully smiles at his superiors while rubbishing them behind their backs,this allows the bully to ply his trade against his chosen victim knowing that he is safe hiding behind those that should know better. This as you know friends and readers is the Jekyll and Hyde personality which is the prime characteristic of the office bully.
Given a long enough rein,the bullys superiors the one’s that should be taking the action to stop him become intimidated as well,the reason for that who knowes,it could very well be that action to deal with the bully was beyond them,so they do the next best thing and cover up what many know is going on,then turn their attention to harassing the victim with their rules and regulations. Again this is a classic sign not only of impotent management,but a denial that workplace bullying is a problem,so even with an abundance of available evidence nothing is done.
This type of inaction is a well trodden path,hoping the victim goes away or they can find a way to dismiss him/her. So we ask who is the biggest coward,is it the bully who sucks up to his superiors and them berates them behind their backs?or is it those employed to ensure a safe working environment?
The simple answer is both,and in a way they collude with each other out of necessity rather than anything else. But that facade of,no bullying problem here is at best skating on thin ice and relies on total refusal to see what is right in front of their noses.
So with that knowledge a prolonged attack on the victim is the easy option,as it offers a way out for the bully and his incompetent superiors.
The other favoured avenue is to shift the problem,give the bully another post somewhere else along with any little helpers he had. Then of course the bullying may disappear and management can say they have dealt with the problem. Unfortunately by doing that they admit after constant denial that there was a problem but they have now dealt with it.
They haven’t in reality dealt with it at all they have just shifted the problem out of the immediate firing line to somewhere else where in time it will surface again.
Dealing with the problem of workplace bullying is a get your hands dirty job and as long as the bully is allowed to go on,the job gets dirtier,so best left and clean up the aftermath,that way it can be hidden out of sight and those that should have done something about it can go back to the bullshit they live in.
But wait on what happens if a victim of workplace bullying does not go away as hoped but fights back,what then for the bully and his co-conspirators. There then remains the single option of maintain relentless pressure on the victim while hiding behind any hand knitted policy and procedures they may have.
There is nothing in their handbook about a victim fighting back except the standard dodge of passing the buck,that’s when the facade of deceit breaks down and like hungry wolves turn on each other in order to survive.
On our voyage of discovery, examining workplace bullying,we have found that there are certain similarities amongst workplace bullys so they should be easy to spot,and then dealt with,not ignored. Workplace bully’s target their victims they are not random selections. The workplace bully will sustain a prolonged attack on his chosen victim until they crack or leave. The workplace bully is usually in authority over his victim i.e line manager etc,and therefore can exert extra pressure on the victim as we have already outlined.
The workplace bully is self centered but presents a face of all things to all people,allowing him room to carry on bullying his victim. This is not by chance the bully plans his campaign against his chosen victim,and he will be consumed by his determination to make the victims life a misery.
Is workplace bullying an illness,no it is not it is premeditated violence,harassment,intimidation and ultimate destruction of a victim. This kind of behaviour the bully will try and hide,only to be used against the victim,but it is difficult to hide all the time and more often than not stories will emerge about workplace bullying and this will reach the ears of others who may well have suspected for some time that all was not well.
It could very well be that the bully has a reputation for his behaviour,it is not unknown for the bully to try and intimidate others who feel strongly about his behaviour. And yes it could very well be the case that the bully even believes he is above the law putting the victim at at risk of injury,all in an attempt to force the victim to surrender to this thuggery and leave.
This friends and readers is the workplace bully,you may know one,the discription we give may ring alarm bells within you. If you do recognise these traits and you know of workplace bullying,make sure you are never in a position to be alone with the bully,always take someone with you. Do not let your guard down as this will allow the bully to exploit you. Be vigilant and if you know of colleagues who are being bullied support them and urge them to report the matter.
A victim needs support and help ,remember they have suffered the indignities of workplace bullying and possibly the wrath of management who may also attempt to further attack and harass the victim. They to are victims of bullying.