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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 9 of 9. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by dj on February 25, 2001, at 22:38:46
A friend of mine with an HR background is developing a workshop on bullying in the workplace. Seems there are studies of that and the links with stress, depression and lowered workplace productivity popping up here and there. I've heard and seen recent discussions of it in and on various media. In Saturdays 'Vancouver Sun' newspaper there was an article entitled: "There's a rebellion brewing against workplace bullying". Unfortunately it's not available on-line. The sub-header on the article reads: "It's estimated that bullied employees waste up to 52 per cent of their time on the job". Desite the fact that their are: "Lies, dammed lies and statistics." that's a pretty staggering estimate.
In the article they note in a more balanced fashion that: "...the saftey council estimates that bullied employees waste 10 to 52 per cent of their time at work, some of it spent defending themselves and networking for support...Health hazards include: depression in 41 percent of targets and interference with productivity in 80 per cent of targets due to anxiety, lost concentration and insomnia." Etc....
The last sentence quoted above shows the link that is being made to depression and anxiety and hence the relevance here. This issue has risen in discussions here on occassion and some folks may want to chat about their experiences and their read on it or you may want to go to the site that I'm going to cite below which provides some insights into how to deal with it and a source to tell your tales. I don't recall where I found this but some good info. there:
> OFFICE BULLIES AND DESK RAGE
>
> Two articles this week deal with the workplace killing fields.
>
> The first is on office bullies - men and women (in equal numbers) with the power to
> make your life miserable. Ultimately, their behavior is counterproductive, leaving a
> trail of heart attacks, strokes, and suicides in their wake, not to mention bottom
> lines badly in need of repair. Perversely, upper management backs these wreckers, and
> those who seek relief usually find themselves facing the full wrath of the company they
> work for - eleven percent of targets are transferred and 82 percent of the time, they
> lose their jobs. Victims suffer depression, gastrointestinal problems, hypertension,
> and heart palpitations, all which can lead to far worse conditions.
>
> Gary and Ruth Namie are trying to change that. They have written a book, "The Bully at
> Work: What You Can Do to Stop the Hurt and Reclaim Your Dignity On the Job." They
> conduct workshops worldwide, and are seeking to put workplace bullying on the same
> legal plane in California as sexual harassment, and race, age, and gender
> discrimination. You can check out their website at:
> http://www.bullybusters.org/
>
>
> ... and the article at:
> http://www.post- >gazette.com/neigh_washington/20001126wadave1.asp
>
> The second article is about "desk rage." According to one survey, one in 10 workers
> say employees have come to blows because of work-related stress, and 42 percent say
> there's yelling and verbal abuse in their offices. The survey also found that: 12
> percent of Americans work in Dilbert-like cubicles, 30 percent have admitted to yelling
> at co-workers, 23 percent have been driven to tears, 14 percent say machinery or
> equipment has been damaged because of workplace rage, one in eight has called in sick
> because of stress at work, and one in five has quit a job because of stress.
>
> For more details, please see:
> http://www.foxnews.com/health/work/nine_18.smlSante!
dj
Posted by coral on February 26, 2001, at 7:30:22
In reply to Bullying at Work and Stress/Depression links.., posted by dj on February 25, 2001, at 22:38:46
>Your friend is right on target.
We do a lot of work on bullying in the workplace and the effects are staggering. In fact, our last newsletter addressed that issue.
We do work in workplace violence and bullying is a major catalyst to truly catastrophic events.
Sadly, companies often don't do anything because the bully is normally great at getting out production - UNTIL the companies start looking at ancillary costs, such as overtime, absenteeism, quality, expedited shipping costs, increases in both health care expenses and workers comp.
If people are interested here, I'd be happy to list strategies we suggest to combating the bully.
Coral
Posted by dj on February 26, 2001, at 10:34:59
In reply to Re: Bullying at Work and Stress/Depression links.., posted by coral on February 26, 2001, at 7:30:22
> If people are interested here, I'd be happy to >list strategies we suggest to combating the >bully.
Coral,
I certainly would be interested in seeing that info.
dj
Posted by dj on February 26, 2001, at 14:17:31
In reply to Re: Bullying at Work and Stress/Depression links.., posted by coral on February 26, 2001, at 7:30:22
"...The economic and emotional costs of bullying are high - both to the worker and the organization. Studies have shown that repeated incidents of bullying can hurt the bottom line, Neuman said. Such behavior often leads to a decline in employee productivity, an increase in medical leave and turnover and costly acts of sabotage. Lawsuits arising from an abusive work environment could also cost companies dearly.
And workplace bullying can be devastating to the workers targeted by bullies.
A recent survey of 930 employees in Michigan showed that one in five reported being "significantly mistreated" in the past year, said Keashly, who worked on the study.
Keashly's list of emotionally abusive behaviors ranged from yelling and swearing to talking down to employees. Workplace bullies also tend to flaunt their status, give employees the silent treatment, make them scapegoats for others' errors, put down workers in front of others, exclude colleagues from important activities or meetings and use threatening gestures.
"The more people reported being exposed to these negative behaviors, the more likely they were to have experienced health problems, to have a greater desire to leave their jobs and to be less satisfied with their jobs," Keashly said.
Are people just being too sensitive? Keashly rejects the notion: "How much can you do to dismiss that? Is 20% of the working population too sensitive?"
What is the employer's responsibility when it comes to workplace bullying?
Currently, the law doesn't specifically provide relief to workers from abusive workplace behavior, except in cases of sexual harassment or racial discrimination, said David Yamada, associate professor of law at Suffolk University Law School in Boston. Yamada is drafting a proposal that he hopes could form the basis for state laws providing protection against workplace bullying.
"Most people would naturally assume that the abusive behavior at work is not only wrong but that there would be legal protection. But a lot of state courts have held that workers' compensation prevents them from bringing a lawsuit."
Meanwhile, management experts encourage organizations to act quickly to prevent workplace bullying. "If you simply ignore the negative behavior going on, you're condoning it. You're perpetuating it," Neuman said..."
http://www.jsonline.com/bym/career/aug00/wrk-bully-bi080800.asp?format=print
Posted by coral on March 1, 2001, at 8:47:56
In reply to Re: Please do, post that info... » coral, posted by dj on February 26, 2001, at 10:34:59
Dear DJ,
Are you personally experiencing a bully at work? What kinds of things are happening? That would help me frame my answers.
Thanks,
Coral
Posted by dj on March 1, 2001, at 9:04:09
In reply to Re: Please do, post that info..., posted by coral on March 1, 2001, at 8:47:56
> Are you personally experiencing a bully at >work? What kinds of things are happeningCoral,
No. But I have in the past. Psychological manouevering and office politics mostly - subtle stuff at times. Curious to learn more...
Thanks,
dj
Posted by coral on March 2, 2001, at 8:40:07
In reply to Re: Please do, post that info... » coral, posted by dj on March 1, 2001, at 9:04:09
In general terms, the first decision one has to make, after making sure the bullying is real, and not just hypersensitivity on the recipient's part, is to determine that the behavior is unacceptable.
There are two types of bullies; the innocent bully who doesn't know any other way of working with people and the predator bully.
Now, document, document, document every incident that you experience, as well as observe. Report it unemotionally to the human resources department.
If the bully is of the innocent variety, he/she can often be taught better ways of communicating. If the bully is the predator type, when one person comes forward, others will as well. Predators should be dealt with in no uncertain terms. By that, I mean it should be made absolutely clear that such conduct is unacceptable and the victim will take all steps available to stop the behaviors. Hopefully, the company will also step in. Typically, a predator bully WILL back off when he/she realizes that the gig is up. Their thrill comes in terrorizing people. When they realize their victim is refusing to be victimized, they'll seek other victims. That's why the company involvement is important.
It's important not to attempt to tackle this alone. Workplace Violence doesn't "just" happen - it's a result of cascading events. We also know that intervention does work and can avoid catastrophe.
Posted by dj on March 2, 2001, at 10:31:47
In reply to Re: Please do, post that info..., posted by coral on March 2, 2001, at 8:40:07
"...Bullies are not always the psychopathological monsters they are popularly portrayed to be, Keashly said. Bullying can be a response to extreme stress and frustration or a lack of supervisory skills. "Many people move up in organizations, and they are never trained how to supervise. So you teach them how to be a better manager."
That's where Peterson comes in. He provides one-on-one coaching to problem managers.
"Mostly I get called in to work with high-potential people. You have a guy who's a tremendous asset to the company, but he's leaving a trail of human debris in his wake," Peterson said. "They're so successful with their talent that they never develop other aspects."
Many times, the bully is resistant to change because he's convinced his bullying behavior is responsible for his success, Peterson said. Often he or she has been "promoted over nice people time and time again. So the bully said, "I've been rewarded for this behavior.' There's not enough insight into the damage they're causing."
Peterson focuses on teaching better communication skills.
"What you have to do is teach them how to be clear, direct and powerful in a respectful way. One of the principles is to attack the issue and not the person."
He also uses role models, such as Jack Welch, the recently retired chairman of General Electric, who are tough and assertive, but respectful of employees.
"The irony is, most of the bullies I work with are good people. They've just learned a lousy way to manage. If you can show them a way to build loyalty and stronger teams that get results, why wouldn't they try it?"
http://www.jsonline.com/bym/career/aug00/wrk-bully-bi080800.asp?format=print
"...Even well-run organizations sometimes have a pocket or two with unusually high turnover, low productivity and miserable morale. Pay attention to those pockets. They may be headed by a heavy-handed bully boss. The trouble is that too many senior managers allow these bullies to stay, because they're bringing in the numbers in the short term.
Others, like the senior leadership team at General Electric, have decided they won't pay for poor management.
A few years ago, GE's CEO Jack Welch realized while his company espoused smart-people principles, not all his managers practiced what GE preached. So he identified four types of managers, and then took action. See if you recognize any of these in your organization.
Type I: Not only delivers on performance commitments, but believes in and furthers GE's people-oriented values. These are GE's future senior leaders.
Type II: Doesn't meet commitments, or share the company's values -- or last long at GE.
Type III: Believes in the values, but sometimes misses commitments. Because GE encourages taking swings, Type III's typically are given another chance.
Type IV is the tough one. GE's leaders admit it's tempting to look the other way with these mismanagers, because they deliver short-term results. But they do so by grinding people down, stifling them. According to the 1995 GE Annual Report: "Some of these learned to change; most couldn't. The decision to begin removing Type IVs was a watershed -- the ultimate test of our ability to `walk the talk.'
"But it had to be done if we wanted GE people to be open, to speak up, to share, and to act boldly outside traditional lines of authority and functional boxes in this new learning, sharing environment."
It's not just the damage these Type IVs do within their own departments. Greater destruction by far occurs elsewhere in the organization, when people see this type of behavior tolerated or even encouraged.
The glaring inconsistency involving even just a few will undermine and mitigate the valiant work of the majority. It's an all-or-nothing proposition. This is not a quest for the "moral high ground." It's just plain good business, and if you have any doubt, take a look at GE's financials.
If you're a senior manager or business owner, and you discover a couple of bully bosses in your organization, you owe it to them (and everyone else) to be very clear about your commitment to people-oriented management. If they choose not to sign on, invite them to find their success elsewhere. Do it professionally and humanely, but do it. "
This is from this article: http://washington.bcentral.com/washington/stories/1999/07/26/smallb4.html however the part I've quoted above is mostly taken from one of the many books on Welch. As GE was one of the top performing and biggest co.'s in U.S. and the world. Worth referencing, though more difficult to apply to smaller orgs., particularly when the owner is the bully... : )
dj
Posted by coral on March 2, 2001, at 11:39:19
In reply to Re: Thanks, Coral and in line with your comments.., posted by dj on March 2, 2001, at 10:31:47
The GE example is a good one and, in my professional experience, the cause of bullies rising to the top is a direct result of promotion practices. The company sees a top performer and automatically assumes he/she can manage. What happens is that the company loses the top performer as an individual contributor and winds up with a lousy manager. Management is culpable.
The manager is often frustrated, but I don't buy the argument that they're resistant to change because their methods have worked in the past. They're resistant to change because training often focuses on "don't's" and the manager has no alternatives. That's why we concentrate on providing managers with new skill sets.
Again, in my professional experience, the GREATEST motivator for a company to do something about its bullies is when the employees say "No, I will NOT be treated this way." Any time an employee tolerates abusive behavior without protest, the employee is giving tacit approval of the conduct.
This is the end of the thread.
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