Hi Toni,
Thanks for bringing the subject up.
Step one is to ?Wise Up.? Label them as bullies. It not only gives you legitimacy, it rallies your energy. You?ll know what you?re up against and you?ll feel like you?re protecting and defending yourself as best you can. Then you can decide the best tactics for you in that situation. Sometimes you can win even against fairly relentless bullies, and sometimes not.
Step two is to ?Stand Up.? While pushing back may cause problems, not pushing back (passivity) guarantees problems. Bullies don?t take your lack of resistance as kindness or your taking the moral high ground. Bullies take it as an invitation to go after you harder.
Stay professional and look to catch the bullies with a ?smoking gun.? Shine a light on the bullying. Get a good lawyer and strategist. Get allies. Try to isolate the bully.
If the bully is your manager, go up one or two steps with as much evidence as you can get on the loss of teamwork and productivity, and the cost of increased turnover and sick leave. That way you?re testing the company. Is it a place you want to work at?
Disclosure: I consult and coach on bullying and the high cost of low attitudes in the workplace. Check out my books, CDs and web site:
http://www.BulliesBeGone.com.
Best wishes,
Ben
