Clever bullying works to undermine the confidence of another worker, making it seem like the stalker is an expert at everything.
Harassment in the office has become a common concern for many HR professionals over the past decade. As more studies are conducted on the dynamics of workplace harassment and bullying, several types of office bullies have been identified. In fact, some office bullies can seem quite benign at first, with the fruits of their destructive behavior only manifesting after an extended period of subtle workplace bullying.
Aggressive bullying involves the use of verbal and mental abuse to annoy co-workers.
One of the most obvious examples of office bullying is the aggressive stalker. Bullies of this type actively look for ways to annoy others in the workplace. People who engage in this tend to get too close, talk a little too loud, and often do everything in their power to disrupt thought processes and prevent victims from coming to their senses to fight back against bullying. . If left unchecked, abusers of this type tend to progress from verbal abuse to physical types of workplace violence.
Elite bullying involves the use of snobbery or avoidance towards co-workers.
A more subtle type of office bullying is sometimes known as smart bullying. A person who engages in this type of bullying often considers himself an expert on virtually any subject and is not shy about sharing that knowledge with others. Often the tone used to convey this knowledge is calculated to imply that the recipient does not have the knowledge or skills to assimilate the data and be effective in the office, undermining the trust of others. The smart bully rarely attacks another individual with harsh words or other forms of direct verbal attacks. Instead, bullying slowly erodes the confidence and enthusiasm of others in the workplace and can result in poor employee performance or the loss of otherwise valuable employees.
Workplace bullying can cause a number of problems, including anxiety, loss of productivity, and fear.
The elite stalker uses a method of intimidation that includes snubbing or avoiding others, or letting others know that they are not as good as the bully in some way. Harassment can have to do with the way someone dresses or talks, or the salary or wages a particular employee earns. Snobbery can even extend to factors like someone’s race, gender, sexual orientation, or religious preference. In some cases, the elite thug will point out how her attributes are inherently superior to everyone else in the office, sometimes in exquisite detail. Other times, the snobbery will be obvious but communicated non-verbally.
If left unchecked, bullies tend to progress from verbal abuse to physical types of workplace violence.
In all its forms, office bullying undermines workplace efficiency, often creates divisions within the office, and undermines the trust and performance of targeted employees. Anyone from a department manager or supervisor to the receptionist can be the source of workplace harassment. When such behavior is identified in an employee, steps must be taken to counsel and rehabilitate the employee immediately. If these efforts do not bring about change, the abuser should be strongly encouraged to seek job opportunities elsewhere as soon as possible, and should be terminated as a way to help the abuser move forward with that search.