How to – Stop Workplace Bullying In an ideal world, a bully may be a childhood rite of passage that we deal with as we learn how to become adults. In reality, they exist in the workplace and drain of us of energy and focus needed to do the job. They are present at ALL organizational levels, in all industries, and in all functions.

Bullying behaviors in the workplace involve a lack of regard for others and include observable behaviors such as:
• Verbal intimidation
• Harassment
• Incivility
• Teasing
• Gossiping
• Physical intimidation
• Withholding business information
• Overruling decisions without a rationale
• Sabotaging team efforts
• Demeaning others

Suggestions to regain control of the situation and diffuse the impact of a bully include:

Get out of the Crowd
Address them by name in a calm, low voice and suggest that the conversation be moved to a more private area.

Turn down the Volume
If they are yelling or the volume begins to escalate, remember to keep your voice calm and speak in a normal tone. Many people cannot sustain a shouting match if they are the only ones doing it.

Slow Things Down
Tell them you need to think about what they’ve said. Give yourself some space to think about things by walking away.

Is This Business as Usual?
Determine if this person often exhibits over the top behavior or if something unusual has happened to set them off.

YOU are in Charge of You
It is your responsibility to take care of yourself, not theirs. If your rights are not being respected, you may have to refuse the request.

Keep it Short
Be brief in your response. Forget about explaining why you are unable to comply with their demand. You don’t want to get into a negotiation.

Let Them Know Their Impact
It can be very powerful to simply state: “I don’t know if you are aware of this, but your behavior (screaming) is really scaring me right now.”

Déjà Vu
A bully doesn’t like it when they don’t get what they want and may want to get involved in “Round #2.” Simply repeat your stand using the same concise phrases.

Disengage
Without an audience or a target, a bully has nothing to do! Agree to disagree and depart.

While you may not be able to eliminate a bully and their boss may not be able to manage their behavior, you can reduce the impact they have on you.  8:34 AM •