Workplace bullies: countering job nightmares.

• Author: Curry, Lynne
• Position: HR MATTERS

When "Jim" accepted a job With an Anchorage oil services company, he didn't realize he was putting his career at risk. He'd heard stories that his new boss "Bill" was one tough son of a gun and that those who got on Bill's wrong side didn't last long. Jim didn't worry, he was tough, too.

"Anne" didn't benefit from the same forewarning. When she landed what she thought was a dream job, she quickly bonded with her charismatic boss "Karla." When Karla liberally poured wine at an informal evening out and said "tell me all about you," Anne did.

Like many others in the country, Jim and Anne found themselves in a job nightmare. According to an Associated Press alert, 29 percent of all U.S. managers and employees deal with workplace bullies.

A Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) white paper reports "one out of six individuals report being bullied at some time at work during their careers." According to SHRM's latest survey, bullying in the workplace is three times as prevalent as illegal discrimination, and occurs at least 1,600 times as often as workplace violence. Although no state currently protects employees against workplace bullying, bills before the Massachusetts, Illinois and New York legislatures may change that.

BULLY TACTICS

Bullies come in many sizes and types, among them the character assassin, the micro-managing control freak; the silent grenade ready to explode, and the opportunistic, manipulative backstabber. Like schoolyard bullies that throw spitballs, workplace bullies generally launch their attack by making unjustified accusations about their target's character, competency, personality or emotional stability. By creating hearsay they erode others' respect for and trust in their target. Left unchecked, they undermine their target's self-confidence and work relationships.

Many initially try to ignore workplace bullies, hoping if they act professionally the bully will leave them alone or act nicely in return. Often, those targeted view the initial bully onslaught as a one-time event. Nothing could be further from the truth. Bullies perceive niceness and avoidance as weakness and an invitation to take advantage. Those who don't stand up to the bully's initial attack inadvertently encourage continued bullying.

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Most individuals confronting a workplace bully expect to receive support from co-workers or another senior manager. Unfortunately, because many bullies show their true selves only to their target...