The animated TV show The Simpsons shows a typical schoolyard bully in Nelson Muntz. Over the years, he has bullied basically every single one of his schoolmates in Springfield. Nelson Muntz likes to torment the other children by intimidating them, making offensive jokes, and spreading malicious rumors regarding other people. This behavior is typically reinforced when classmates applaud them, when the school teachers become afraid and when school administrators disregard the incidents. Tolerated, this behavior becomes integrated into the bully's development and is carried into the bully's workplace.
It's important for us to understand that bullying in the workplace is vastly more different from harmless bad manners, teasing, discourtesy and other types of personal torture. Actually, bullying is a form of violence, although it hardly ever involves physical injury, fighting, or worse, killing. Most of the cruelty that happens in bullying is not physical and as shown by research, bullying is not contained by boundaries of organizational status, gender and race. Workplace bullying can be described as one that ignores status; Lawrence Peters in his landmark book "The Peter Principle" asked why is there so much incompetence in the world and specifically on the job site. The author came to the concussion that it is not for not caring or being motivated, nor intelligence or education . The situation is that most people are promoted to one step past their level of competence where their incompetence stops them in their tracks. The system then protects them and cannot admit that a mistake has been made. This was Mr. Peters basic explanation. Bullying may also be caused by the bully's desire to control another person, disregarding genuine business interests in doing so.
Bullying in the workplace isn't simply impoliteness, teasing, rudeness and other types of personal torture. Bullying is actually a form of violence, although it rarely involves physical harm, fighting, or homicide. Its a sad testament to modern business practices in that those with inappropriate skills often get promoted. A good example of this could be the best salesmen often get promoted to be sales managers . The skills that made them the best salesperson are often at great odds with being a good supervisor, boss and facilitator. In the end its usually a poor match and poor choice for all parties involved. It would of been best if they had left the employee in his previous position where both staff and new promo would of been happier.
Bullying in the workplace may be overt, through offensive or insulting language; frightening and humiliating language intended to degrade; Usually, spotting bullying in the workplace is not an easy task. However, research admits the fine line between bullying and a solid management. Feedbacks and comments given by the management that are intended as constructive criticisms are not considered bullying. If you believe that you are being bullied in your workplace, you should instantaneously inform the person responsible that his or her demeanor is inappropriate and unwelcome. If you feel uncomfortable personally confronting the bully, informing a supervisor is a good idea. Remember to jot down the date, time, particulars and witnesses of the incident. Also, never retaliate, so you won't look like a bully yourself; showing offensive material around the workplace; sowing gossip and insinuations of a malicious nature. Bullying may be subtle, by secluding an employee from usual work activities; intruding into another person's space by interfering with their personal or work gear. Lastly, bullying can be clandestine, like overloading someone with excessive work; Life is never easy that is for sure. Its not one big bowl of cherries.
Being the target of bullying causes feelings of helplessness and frustration. Feelings of anger or shock are common; The advice given by one worker of many many years was that "No matter how stupid the idea is you never know who dreamed up that world's most stupid paradigm". "It may be the idea of the CEO of the company who is sitting within earshot of you". No matter what it is always safe to remark and note "Now that idea has great merit". The two types of bullying, both in the school and in the workplace, are comparable in the sense that an insufficient and insecure person puts on display his or her supposed power by humiliating his or her victims. Workplace bullying may be expressed as one that disregards status; a premeditated and recurring hostility directed towards another person that is effectively harsh to injure the targeted person's economic status or physical wellbeing. Bullying could also me motivated by the bully's aspiration to control another person, forgetting about valid business interests in the pursuit thereof. They start becoming anxious and stressed; One fellow who had been in the workplace many years and lived through more than his share of management and supervisors had the following advice - friend they may be wrong they may be right but the voice of experience is that they will stick together like glue to protect their perks and alleged powers of privilege. The organization if also affected, as bullying may cause an increase in turnover, absenteeism, and EAP access and decreased productivity and morale.
Should you feel that you are being bullied in your workplace, you should immediately tell the person concerned that his or her conduct is improper and unwelcome. If you feel uncomfortable personally confronting the bully, you can consult a supervisor or other persons in authority. Also, be sure to take note of the important details of the incident, like the date, time, account and any witnesses present. Bullying conduct may be apparent or evident. Some examples of bullying in the workplace are the use of unpleasant or insolent language; alarming and embarrassing language; repeatedly targeting a particular person for practical jokes or teasing; presentation of odious material within the workplace; and circulating malicious gossip and implications about another person in the workplace. Bullying may be almost unnoticeable. This can be done by isolating an employee from the typical work activities; encroaching into another person's space by meddling with their personal or work paraphernalia. Lastly, bullying can be surreptitious, like assigning excessive work to someone; setting unfair deadlines or requiring a person to perform tasks beyond his or her abilities.
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