Q: My boss's friend is disregarding my role as her supervisor, treating me rudely and telling lies about me. As a leader, how can I prevent this kind of behaviour from spreading throughout the organization?
A: Examples of workplace bullying include being spoken to in a dismissive tone ("talked down to"); spreading malicious rumours; gossip or innuendo that isn't true; character assassinations; an arrogant attitude; screaming; swearing or being hypercritical. Tolerating this type of behaviour from a subordinate will diminish your authority with others. The most effective way to ending abuse is to demonstrate management's commitment to respect at work.
-Create a workplace code of conduct with concrete examples of acceptable/ unacceptable behaviours and working conditions. Distribute this among staff, encouraging their input and buy-in.
-Set up a written process for recording and dealing with all conflicts seriously, promptly and confidentially without reprisal to the target. Outline the consequences for acts of bullying and the effective start date of the prevention program. Initially, targets should attempt to work out situations themselves by firmly telling the bully their behaviour is unacceptable and asking them to stop. They should record abusive events with the date, time and a detailed account of what happened. Maintain copies of all correspondence from the perpetrator.
If the behaviour continues, the complainant should report it to their supervisor. If their concern is minimized or dismissed, they should escalate to the next level of management. An impartial third party should be available to resolve situations when necessary. Retaliation is not an option; when a victim becomes a perpetrator, it can evaluate the situation and make abuse more pervasive.
Joni Mar is a Vancouver-based certified business and corporate coach. She can be reached at www.JoniMar.com.
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