My article in Forbes offers six tips for standing up to bullies in the workplace.
Are you silenced or confused at work?
Is your best work often demeaned or dismissed?
Does your boss make unreasonable or demeaning demands?
If so, you may be the target of a bullying attack. It’s important to stand up to bullies to reclaim your confidence and recover a sense of power and control over your own job.
Unfortunately, bullying is alive and well in the workplace, affecting an estimated one third of American workers. Although psychological safety has been shown to be necessary for workplace performance, many companies tolerate toxic behaviors, much to their own detriment. For those targeted by a bully, the experience can be confusing and painful, leaving psychological scars that can damage your sense of self-confidence for years.
It is tempting to appease a bully. They demand the impossible, and it’s easy to think that if you simply accomplish the impossible, they will be pleased. But that is not how it works. Bullies seem powerful and confident on the outside, but inside, most of them are full of insecurity and self-doubt. Your competence itself is what threatens them. No matter how hard you try, or how successful you are in carrying out their demands, it’s never enough. In fact, this can lead to self-sabotage if you blame or question yourself.
Rational arguments don’t work with an irrational opponent. You have to stand up to bullies. They only understand power and they seek to rob you of yours. By maintaining your cool, you can often counteract their tactics and reclaim your confidence. By standing up to a bully, you might even become a hero and avoid a workplace disaster.