SWE - Winter 2009 - (Page 31) Bullies on the job are more prevalent than you might think, creating stressful environments and undermining morale, creativity, and productivity. Fortunately, evidence is building for more effective solutions. tions that expect people to trust one another and work in teams, Dr. Crow said. “If a company has healthy people at the top, [the healthy leaders] would get rid of a bully or do what’s appropriate [to contain the behavior],” she said. In unhealthy organizations, employees who report to a bully have few choices, Dr. Crow said. “Assertiveness doesn’t work,” she said. “One must not challenge or cross the bully; must not gossip about him or else risk punishment; must not undermine his authority or position; and must not embarrass him or make him look bad.” Though employees may report bullying behavior, the bully will likely find out and retaliate. Or the company may offer a resolution process that looks good on paper but is inadequate to address the complexities and subtleties of the situation. Other options for the victim include getting professional help if needed, refusing to internalize the idea that the victim caused the bullying, and refraining from self-medication, Dr. Crow said. Ultimately, if the situation deteriorates further and solutions are not forthcoming, women can reach out to support groups or lobby for changes, such as retaining an ombudsman able to provide advice while also serving as an outside negotiator and arbitrator. This suggestion was offered in a “Point of View” opinion piece written by SWE Fellow LeEarl Bryant, P.E., published in the SWE Magazine summer 2007 issue. Bryant also recommended that companies establish a committee to work within a specific time frame to develop strategies for resolving a hostile work situation. Championing a clause in work policies to advocate high standards for peer-to-peer relationships — rather than hiding behind claims of personality conflicts — and setting up an industry-wide method to document policies that help resolve hostile work situations would send the message that employers are serious about this issue, Bryant said. “One way to survive is to kiss up and support the ego of the person so he won’t turn on you,” Dr. Crow said. “Many very competent and ethical women cannot do that. But if your immediate priority is putting food on the table, you might have to do it for a while.” Dr. Crow attributes the prevalence of bullying in part to our society’s “cult of aggression,” as evidenced by reality shows in which the goal is, as she put it, “‘What can I do to screw the other guy?’” Such behavior has nothing to do with assertiveness, Dr. Crow said. “There is no connection between assertion and aggression,” she explained. How to cope To get unvarnished looks at future employers’ sites, more executives are playing “mystery shopper” by going into prospective employers’ workplaces, attending shareholders’ meetings, touring distribution centers, scouring Web sites, and driving by the headquarters’ parking lots in the evening to see how many people work late, according to an article in the Nov. 24, 2008, issue of the Wall Street Journal. The practice has spread beyond retail to include manufacturing, banking, and restaurants, the Wall Street Journal reported. The story offered as an example Russ Smyth, who pretended to seek help at six H&R Block taxreturn preparation offices, where he asked the employees about their qualifications to do his taxes. He was impressed, and took an offer to become CEO. Women should check for signs that a company values and respects women, such as whether women serve on the board or in other leadership positions, according to a separate article in the Nov. 24 issue of the Wall Street Journal written by Dana Mattioli, a reporter for the “Career Journal” section. Other tips from career coaches and women’s business leaders cited in the “Career Journal” article include: Try to find a female mentor; identify co-workers’ styles and mirror them by either getting straight to the point or building a relationship, depending upon their method. For example, if the person has a direct, nononsense approach, or appears to want to build and nurture relationships, approach “The authoritarian, or bully, sees himself as an underling. He doesn’t have the confidence he needs to lead, or the belief in himself. He surrounds himself with weak people because strong people would threaten him.” — Mary Lynn Crow, Ph.D., a licensed clinical psychologist and a professor of education, University of Texas at Arlington at Hostile Workplaces SWE WINTER 2009 31
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