"GOTCHA" - A COVERT BULLY IN THE WORKPLACE

"Workplace bullying - in any form - is bad for business. It destroys teamwork, commitment and morale." Tony Morgan, Chief Executive, The Industrial Society

Bullying is a hot topic these days, but the focus has been on school age children. I guess it should not be surprising that little bullies will graduate eventually from school settings to the workplace, their abusive techniques honed by years of tormenting others.

A woman I know well has been victimized by her direct supervisor, another woman; and she feels powerless to stop it. The two share a small enclosed space in a large, high-pressure medical facility. If even half of what I am hearing is true, the situation is untenable, and short of quitting, seems unsolvable to my friend. In trying to help her I found a useful site on the internet called Understanding Workplace Bullying .

While overt bullying is easy to witness, according to the article, covert bullying is equally destructive, and might include:

• constantly undervaluing your efforts
• persistent criticism
• setting deadlines or objectives that are impossible to achieve
• moving the goal posts
• withholding information and blaming you for being ignorant
• spreading malicious, unfounded rumors
• ignoring, excluding and isolating you
• making threats
• removing areas of responsibility for no real reason
• giving you menial or trivial tasks
• stealing your ideas and taking credit for your achievements
• giving you too little or too much work
• blocking promotion
• refusing reasonable requests for holidays or for training
• constantly overruling your authority
• monitoring everything you do
• blaming you whenever things go wrong.

My friend feels she is subjected to many of these examples of abuse, and cites the "Gotcha" mentality of her supervisor as devastating to her morale and well being. It is particularly painful because it seems that others are not given the same treatment. Furthermore, the bullying is so subtle and secretive - usually confined to their enclosed work space - that few people would be aware of it.

The article goes on to talk about symptoms which may be the result of bullying, and might include:

Backache, severe headaches, sleeplessness, feeling sick, sweating and shaking, palpitations, excessive thirst, constant tiredness, skin complaints, loss of appetite, stomach problems, acute anxiety, panic attacks, irritability, mood swings, tearfulness, loss of interest in sex, loss of self-esteem, lack of motivation, obsessiveness and withdrawal, depression, suicidal thoughts, avoidance of contact with perpetrator and sickness related absence.

Teachers, trained in helping children deal with bullying, are sometimes themselves victims of emotional abuse by building administrators. I know of one such principal who enjoyed setting people up for failure and whose "Gotcha" mentality had created a hostile and divisive environment. It got so bad that those who were not "favorites" were often in tears, and frequent visitors to the union office. I can personally remember feeling a sense of relief when I saw, upon arrival at school, that her car was absent from its parking place.

What can be done about a workplace bully, especially one in a position of authority?

1. Keep a Journal, with time and dates.
2. Document every bully act, whether overt or covert.
3. I don't know about the legality of a small tape recorder which could truly make your case, but such evidence would be hard to refute.
4. Keep all communication records such as e-mails, evaluations, etc., and add supporting details to help jog your memory if needed.
5. If the behavior is subtle, enlist the aid of a sympathetic colleague who can be on the lookout for these behaviors, and serve as a witness.
6. Be calm and do not retaliate with aggression or defensiveness.
7. Because bullies succeed best with people they perceive as weak, show that you will not tolerate being victimized by giving clear "I" messages. "I don't like it when . . . " "It is hard to be productive when. . . . "
8. Find out what your workplace policy is on bullying and take whatever steps are suggested.

Sadly, if you are truly a good employee who is being victimized, your company/school stands to lose a trained and loyal worker. Only you can determine whether or not to stick it out. Someone in authority should know what is going on, though, because "Gotcha" will continue abusing anyone coming after you. Don't you wish someone would have given you a "heads up" before you took on the job? I also think most managers would prefer to be informed about abusive behavior of supervisors under them. Certainly collegiality and a good, positive work environment trump the toxic atmosphere generated by "Gotcha" and his/her ilk.

"The challenge of being a manager is to get the best out of everybody, not just the few who are clones of yourself." - Unknown
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BOOK NOOK
Other valuable articles on this subject follow:

Words Do Hurt - Stop Bullying From Affecting Your Health

Covert Bullying

Covert Bullying at Work