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Short Commentary: Workplace Bullies

Workplace Bullies
by Donna Yates Cornette, RDH, BS

Malicious gossip. Eye rolling and dirty looks. Exclusion from meetings and gatherings. Condescending remarks. Humiliation in the presence of others. Personal insults. Threats. Intimidation. These are just some of the ways by which a person can experience bullying. Unfortunately, bullying is no longer just a school yard problem, but a widespread issue in today's workplace.

Webster's defines bullying as, "To treat abusively, to affect by means of force or coercion, or to use browbeating language or behavior." To many in today's work force, this is not only a definition, but a way of life. In a 1997 study reported in the Journal of Professional Nursing, 90 percent of the 130 nurses questioned said that they had been verbally abused during the past year. In another study conducted by researcher Christine Pearson, of 126 Canadian white collar workers, 25 percent witnessed workplace incivility and 50 percent reported being direct targets of such incivility at least once per week.

Psychological abuse in the workplace is more specifically defined by researchers as "the sustained display of hostile verbal and nonverbal behavior, excluding physical contact." This sort of abuse can make an individual feel disrespected and devalued, and can have a devastating effect on one's self esteem and performance. Not only does bullying cause personal trauma, it also has a negative effect on the entire workplace. In one British study, 73 percent of those who reported having been witnesses to workplace bullying experienced increased stress. Of those, 44 percent said that they had become worried about becoming victims themselves.

An atmosphere in which bullying plays a daily role can be potentially damaging to the dental office's reputation, as well as its bottom line. Potential employees might be less attracted to an office, creating difficulty in obtaining and keeping talented clinicians, not to mention the cost of repeated employee turnover. Such an atmosphere has a ripple effect on the entire mood of the office, which can be easily noticed by its patients. Such patients' decreased confidence in the office and its staff could result in the loss of quality patients and referrals.
Other Recommended Reading:
  • Boundaries: When to Say Yes, How to Say No to Take Control of Your Life; Dr. Henry Cloud & John Townsend
  • A Season on the Brink: A Year With Bob Knight and the Indiana Hoosiers; John Feinstein
  • Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Mind and Your Life; Martin Seligman
The question remains: How does one survive being bullied in their workplace when quitting is not an option?

One strategy is described by researcher Martin Seligman as "learned optimism." This is described as viewing a situation as not the victim's fault, that it is temporary, and that it is not going to ruin their life. In other words, "This, too, shall pass." Employees at the Disney theme parks are taught not to take abuse personally and to visualize what terrible thing must have happened to a person in order to make them become abusive in the first place. They are instructed that the abuse won't last long, and that it does not need to ruin their day. Their advice is to keep smiling in order to create other more friendly interactions.

Another useful strategy, as described by Walt Whitman, is to "dismiss whatever insults your soul." Developing some emotional detachment can potentially enable a person to view situations in a different light. Such detached objectivity has been said to be helpful in gaining a true understanding of situations in which there is tension.

Building a support system around one's self can be especially helpful during challenging times. Such support can be found among coworkers, study groups, friends, family, and online forums like Hygienetown. Objective advice and validation can help a person maintain some sense of self and sanity.
 
Donna Yates Cornette RDH, BS. (DH degree from UNC-Chapel Hill, 1996, and a BA in Elementary Education from UNC-Wilmington.)

Donna works in a private practice in Asheville, NC., and is a native of Apex, NC. Donna is married and has a daughter. In her free time, Donna enjoys hiking, camping, and singing.
Another tactic that has been successfully used against bullies is simply not to play their game. Responding repeatedly in a calm manner can eventually defuse the bully as they begin to realize that their behavior isn't going to be effective. With luck, they might even "catch a little kindness" and begin to act more respectfully.

These are just a few strategies for survival. Unfortunately, there is no simple, magic cure for a bully. It is ultimately up to the individual as to whether they should throw in the towel or stay and learn to deal with life in their present situation. In the meantime, there is comfort in knowing that conflicts usually pass and that it is the individual who gets to decide if their situation is going to ruin their life or if they are going to live happily anyway.

References:
  • The No Asshole Rule: Building a Civilized Workplace and Surviving One That Isn't; Robert I. Sutton, Ph.D.
  • Dealing With People You Can't Stand: How to Bring Out the Best in People at Their Worst; Dr. Rick Brinkman & Dr. Rick Kirschner
  • Jerks At Work: How to Deal With People Problems and Problem People; Ken Lloyd, Ph.D.
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