Articles

What Is Bullying? Recognizing a Workplace Bully What Is Bullying in the Workplace? A Schoolyard Phenomenon Haunts the Workplace Are You Being Excluded by Difficult People in the Workplace? Dealing with Bullies at Work May Eventually Harm Your Health Bullies in the Workplace Take Toll on Team Workplace Bullies Can Stress You Out and Leave You Sick Work Bullies: Debunking Some Myths about Why People Bully Adult Bullying: Beware! Leopards Don't Change Their Spots The Bully Boss Bosses That Bully Don’t Simply Endure Bullying from Your Boss The Boss Bully: Who Becomes a Target? "The Devil Wears Prada" Gives Some Clues What Can I Do? The Bully at Work: Are You Being Bullied? Find Out For Yourself Bosses Who Bully: Conquer without Fighting Avoid "Triggers" When Taking on an Office Bully Bully in the Workplace: Learn to Read the Bully's Body Language Taking on Bullies at Work Dealing with Difficult People at Work Dealing with Adult Bullies: Does Your Boss Give You Too Much Work? Adult Bullies: "I Love Lucy" Reveals How to Uncover a Bully's True Intentions Victims of a Workplace Bully: Dealing with the Damage How to Handle a Bully at Work: What to Do When the Bully Is Married to Your Boss You Want to Tell Your Manager About Workplace Bullying--But Is She Listening? The Workplace Bully: Adopt a Sumo Wrestler's Tactics to Battle Back Sign Up for Bully-Proof Insurance "Why?" "How?" "When?" Use Questions to Challenge the Bully Office Bullies: Insulted in Public? Unmask the Bully! Office Bullying: How Do You Handle Gossip? Get Advice from the Sages Bully in the Workplace: Make Meetings Matter in Spite of a Bully's Bad Behavior

Podcasts Creating Hope for the Future Against Workplace Bullying: Awareness to Internalization Podcast | Text The Reality of Approaching Your Employer About Workplace Bullying Podcast | Text Bullying: A Further Awareness - Key Principles We Must Follow as a Target Podcast | Text Verbally Deflecting the Bully: Less Is More Podcast | Text The Law of Attraction: Increasing Your Odds Podcast | Text Office Gossip, Gone for Good Podcast | Text How to Listen to Someone Who's Being Bullied Podcast | Text Narcissist Bosses: What Can You Do? Podcast | Text Rejection in the Workplace Podcast | Text

Taking on Bullies at Work

Are you ready to do battle with the bully who has turned your dream of a peaceful workplace into a nightmare? We’re not suggesting a physical battle, of course. But we know that at some point, targets decide they have taken all the mistreatment they can. They are ready to stand up for themselves.

Many warriors, in the business world as well as on the battlefield, find it helpful to do mental preparation. So, consider the following as a class on “Taking on Bullies at Work.”

Lesson 1: Expect the worst from bullies at work. You’re likely to face a nasty struggle. Bullies have honed their skills from many encounters. You’ll have a learning curve, as you discover how to fight a bully’s tactics. Expect:

• The battle might be a long one. Bullies in the workplace don’t give in easily. They know that both their job and their self-esteem are at stake.
• A bully changes tactics to keep his targets off-guard. For example, if the bully gives up easily, don’t trust what you see. She may be preparing to attack from a new direction.
• You will make mistakes. This is new ground for you, and you won’t do it right every time. Expect to make mistakes, forgive yourself, and persist.

Lesson 2: Expect the worst from yourself. When you challenge bullies at work, you are stepping onto their ground. That’s bound to make you unsure of yourself. Expect:

• You may lose perspective. IF you’re not nice or cordial, you may feel guilty and lose your momentum. Remember, the bully is targeting you. You must protect yourself each and every moment.
• You may feel like you’re in this struggle alone and may resent your co-workers’ lack of support. Understand that they may be too busy protecting themselves to help you.
• You may find this struggle harder than you thought. Expect to feel overwhelmed and discouraged. Again, this is new territory for you, and there is a lot to learn. But it’s worth it to keep on task.

Lesson 3: You can win the war without winning every battle. The “war” is for your self-respect. By standing up to a bully, you have stood up for your own rights. That act will make a difference in your life, whether or not you choose to remain at your job. Here’s what you can expect:

• You’ll be a better judge of friends, co-workers and employees. In addition, your enhanced self-respect may help you set limits as you interact with others in the workplace.
• You’ll be better able to assess future workplace situations. Ultimately you may choose to leave your present job and look for a new one. When you do, you’ll go in with your eyes open to expectations and interrelationships you weren’t aware of before.

Taking on a bully is “no walk in the park,”–it’s both a challenge and an opportunity. Know what to expect before you begin, and you stand a better chance of achieving your goals at less personal cost. Remember, you are worth it.

Sincerely,
Valerie Cade, Founder
Bully Free at Work