Recent media reports about bullying in the workplace are serious. In spite of increased awareness about bullying in schools, it appears that the parents of bullied children are experiencing the same behavior at work.
According to Robert I. Sutton PhD, in his book The No Asshole Rule. Building a Civilized Workplace and Surviving One that Isn’t, 80% of individuals have encountered a despicable behavior in the workplace and 100% of people have experienced negativism from people in powerful positions.
If all of us despise the way we are made to feel by these people, why do they continue to do their damage?
Bullies are found in the medical field, politics, manufacturing, corporations, small businesses and non-profit organizations – everywhere! Bullies are also not exclusively men, as stereotypes would have one believe. Bullying is encountered in all populations, across educational and social groups as well as gender orientation.
The way to protect your organization from being destroyed by these damaging people is to know how to recognize them and to put rules in place for keeping them out of your organization.
Sutton identified 12 common jerk behaviors used daily by these caustic individuals to undermine people.
- Personal insults
- Invading one’s personal territory
- Uninvited physical contact
- Threats and intimidation verbal and non-verbal
- Insults delivered by sarcastic jokes
- Scalding e-mails
- Humiliation by degrading one’s status
- Public shaming rituals
- Rude interruptions
- Two-faced attacks
- Dirty looks
- Treating people as if they are invisible
Sutton’s “dirty dozen” behaviors will help you create rules that can help protect your team and criteria that will help those doing hiring from admitting any bullies into your ranks.
If you already have a bully within your ranks, set strong boundaries and help your employees to limit the jerk’s power.
Tolerating bullies on the team will do irreparable damage to your organization.
Talk to me to learn more about eliminating jerks from your organization.