Surviving the Workplace Bully.
The average person comes into contact with at least one person in their lifetime who isn’t their biggest fan. But what happens when you encounter someone at work who OPENLY dislikes you?
I recently endured a colleague who went from being secretly annoyed by my presence, to having obvious (and demonstrated) disdain for my overall being. So how do you protect your aura from external negativity in the office?
These are the steps that I took to protect myself.
Be kind.
There is nothing worse to a workplace bully, than a colleague who doesn’t take part in petty behavior. It will give them zero ammunition to use against you. And it may even make them feel subconsciously guilty.
Ignore the bully.
Where’s the fun in a victim who doesn’t act like a victim? The most efficient way to stop childish behavior, is to not acknowledge said behavior. After a while you become a bore, and the perpetrator will move on to a different prospect.
Expand your horizons.
Get to know your coworkers from different teams and departments. Not only is this an amazing way to network, but it reinforces that you are a like-able person.
Talk to someone.
It feels better to talk to someone who you trust. Whether it’s a work friend who lets you blow off steam, or an HR representative, it’s a good idea to document everything that has happened between you and the bully.
In my situation, by the time I spoke to an HR rep about my rotten colleague, they had already been building a case on her for 8 months!
** Don’t take it personally.**
Hurt people hurt people. It’s really easy to lose perspective when you constantly see and hear that someone is working against you. As hard as it may be at first, just remember to let things roll off of your back. You never know what someone is going through behind closed doors. And though it’s not a valid excuse to be a shrew, it lessens the blow to your confidence and self worth.
All of these factors play into powering through workplace bullying in the most efficient and professional way. While there is no guarantee that you won’t go through petty tribulations at your job, this formula is a pretty solid way to keep your bully at bay and your reputation intact.
for the first time in my life i am a supervisor and i have two people who dont like one another and make it a nightmare when they have to do anything that involves the other. its a small shop so its inevitable that they will be put on the same task.
the one is stubborn and lazy and the other is stubborn and extremely hard to work with.
any advice
Thanks for reading!
Honestly, being in a position of power makes the situation tricky. What steps have you already taken towards putting out the fires between the employees?
Do you know what the underlying issue is between them?
Are there no other people that can be used as buffers to avoid contact between the two employees?
It sounds like both are contributing to tension in the workplace. Though it may be awkward, you may have to stress the importance of ngood work ethic (whether it’s being a team player or not being lazy)
If your workplace can afford it, have you ever considered hiring new people? Maybe some new energy will help lighten the atmosphere.