Office Bullies

Every office you go to, regardless of where it is, will have it’s share of personalities, and these will, at Times, Inevitably clash. This post is not about avoiding them. It’s about living with them while keeping your dignity intact.

There are a great many different types of personalities in the average office. Today we will speak about only one. If you’d like to speak about other types, drop me a line and i’ll tell you how I feel about best dealing with them.

Bullies. They can be bosses. They can be co-workers. They can be lower in position than you. But they are there and must be dealt with. I have noticed a few things about them. They think “it’s” about them. What “it” am I speaking of?

Everything.

I have a boss and a co-worker who can safely be put in this category.

The co-worker can be dealt with easily. Look him or her in the eye and challenge him or her. Bullies are generally either Not very smart or emotionally immature. If you push back when pushed, it will sink in that you aren’t afraid to stand up to them. Bullies, true bullies want to push people around, They don’t want to be pushed. You push back enough, they’ll stop or at least give you enough room to be able to do your job without having to worry about them. Show them strength and they’ll look to pick on someone else.

The boss is another animal entirely. You have to pick your spots when fighting back here. Here it’s more important to find common ground where you can co-exist, even if they drive you nuts. ESPECIALLY if they drive you nuts. Are they a fan of the same sports team as you? Do they like the same TV shows as you? Talk to them. If you take the Time to find out about them, they just might stop being the Overbearing S.O.B.’S they’ve been and open up to you and try to be your friend. It’s amazing how many times that the Overbearing person in the office is like that because he or she feels left out in some way.

If it’s someone who is Underneath you position wise tries to bully you, you have to ask yourself a question. How did it come to pass that this person thinks he or she can talk to you like that? Here you have to do a full on roll reversal. And this isn’t true Bullying but it has the same effect. what it is is the Person Underneath trying to see how much he or she can push. Here you need to clearly set boundaries.

Make it absolutely clear to the Party in question that YOU are in charge and that kind of action will not be tolerated. You might have been accommodating and they took it as a sign of weakness, maybe he or she is just not a very nice person. You might even be non confrontational and they think you’re a weakling as a consequence.

Make them realize that meekness does NOT imply weakness.

Questions? Comments? Drop me a line and we can talk.
Submitted by: Mike the Rhino