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Bullying and mobbing (Part 3)

Pulp & Paper, Dec 2004 by Gates, George

"Hold it right there, boys! Put down that rope. This is a respectable town, and you're all good people. Now, go on home! There'll be no hangin' here as long as I'm sheriff."

- Gary Cooper, John Wayne, Audy Murphy, Randolph Scott, et.al.

IT ALWAYS WORKS IN THE COWBOY MOVIES. The stalwart lawman steps into the street to confront the mob advancing with guttering torches and swinging noose. The riled townsfolk, intent on a lynching, stop dead in their tracks when their steely peace officer confronts them. He spouts a few words about decency and justice, and the mob disintegrates, sheepishly coming to its collective senses. Folks shuffle off to home and hearth, embarrassed by their own temporary insanity. Easy enough on the silver screen; not so in the workplace.

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Two previous columns about "bullying" and "mobbing" at work evoked more email and on-line response than most. It appears, unfortunately, that both topics-particularly the latter-hit close to home for too many people. So here I go again.

Recognizing the mob

Two questions still beg addressing: how do you recognize a "mob" at work before it gets going, and how do you deal with it once it does? As one supervisor put it, "I would like to know the signs of mobbing and stop it before it gets out of hand. There's no reason someone should be subjected to emotional attacks like that."

"Mobbing" is the emotional abuse that happens when coworkers, subordinates or superiors "gang up" to force someone out of the workplace. It occurs when one or more people frequently, and over a long period of time, systematically direct hostile communication and behavior at one person.

The first challenge for managers, union reps, and even coworkers is to recognize mobbing when it's happening. It starts with a personal conflict left to fesler. One parly singles oui the other as a target and escalates the situation by drawing others into it. The mob forms with a noose woven from acts of both commission and omission.

Acts of commission are intended to intimidate, humiliate, undermine or even destroy the target. The difficulty is that many of these actions appear harmless. Mobbing is intentional but usually stealthy. Done frequently and over a long period of time to harass, the apparently innocent content of the mob's communication or meaning of its behavior becomes dangerous.

For example, badmouthing, ridicule, yelling, or even circulation of gossip or rumors about the target may appear to be just unpleasant and unfortunate aspects of work life. But repeated, mounted over time, and aimed by a group at an individual, they isolate and wear down the target, becoming psychological terror.

The second-acts of omission-take the form of withholding resources (time, support, etc.) the target needs to succeed. If you're the target, it may be that colleagues no longer talk with you; management may give you no possibility to communicate; you might be isolated in a work area; perhaps you're given meaningless work assignments; or you're repeatedly left out of the information loop critical to your work. Again, by themselves, these might appear simple oversights. Taken together and repeated over time, they're deadly.

Handling the mob

A short lecture about justice or respect won't stop this mobbing. The person targeted usually is the one isolated, shunned, moved, or even dismissed. If it happens to you, first understand that you're a victim of intentional abuse that you don't deserve. This is not "just how it is" at work.

Second, stop to assess options. Is there any action or recourse you haven't tried-with your boss, your representative, the HR department, or an EAP counselor? Do you want to find another job within the company? Are you ready to leave and work elsewhere? Then act. Take control of your situation by preparing your options and being assertive.

High-sounding words about company values and beliefs aren't worth the plaques they're printed on if they have no teeth. The organization's leaders must be clear that mobbing behavior will not be tolerated. They must back that up with regular orientation and training that equates mobbing with other forms of workplace harassment already forbidden by law as well as company policy. Employees must have ready and confidential access to third-party advocates capable of intervening on their behalf. Supervisors, managers and union reps must routinely help to resolve early on the personal conflicts that, if ignored, can spawn mobbing behavior.

Finally, no leader-management or union-can be allowed to dismiss the targets of mobbing as whiners, misfits or cranks who somehow deserve their fate. The health of the organization, let alone common decency, demands better. If they can't face down the mob, they should turn in their badges.

GEORGE GATES is president of Core-R.O.I. Inc.

Bullying and mobbing (Part 3)

Pulp & Paper, Dec 2004 by Gates, George

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