In some workplaces, there may be a Bully boss, Bully colleague or Bully client... could be all three or different permutations. What is bullying? To me, the simplest definition in my own words is repetitive behaviours that makes recipient feel uncomfortable. Admittedly, one may argue that intention is important in that what if the "bully" did not realise the impact of his/her behaviour. Granted that there may be people who are unable to read facial expressions and emotions, or that the recipient has a poker face. However, after being told about how the recipient feels, the "bully" is officially a Bully.
Make no mistake - there can be no Bully, if there is a system in place to protect employees, staff, and that recipients who do not accept such poor behaviour.
Anyway, having worked for many years, I had worked with a few different bosses in different work environments. (Some might say "under" but I think good team dynamics start from working with the team. I respect leadership only when it is demonstrated. I work harder and am more productice when leadership is firm and fair.) I have only encountered one B-boss and one B-colleague.
The B-boss can best be described as an INSECURE individual who thought that she was so good which was why she was my boss but is insightful that she did not have my qualifications that I and a few of my colleagues had. Thus, she bullied the subordinates who had higher qualifications. She was the youngest Team Leaders in the department despite not having the qualifications and work experience her team members had. She did not have even a Masters degree but would bully subordinates who had Masters and Doctorates.
I was older than her by a couple of years but was in a lower role because I spent more years in university completing a higher degree.
Bullies should not be allowed to make you feel insignificant. Having said that, it can be hard to manage the workplace bullying without management and organisational support.
Having been educated and qualified, I left in a heartbeat when the next best thing came along. However, before I left the team, I made a point about how she obviously had inadequate professional knowledge and was unethical in her application of limited knowledge.
My B-colleague is no different. She would raise her voice when I level with her about the issue. Despite providing her with proof, she would just ignore me. She would also omit the points I make during meetings and tell me to amend the mistakes that I had picked up in the minutes. I thought she was the administrative assistant, thus, getting the minutes right falls under her job description!
Moral of the story: There are people who feel insecure in their positions of power for various reasons. It does not matter how secure and confident you feel. You will still be worn down and worn out by these losers. Just leave and find a new job. However, having said that, there will likely be another one lurking at your next work place. Hopefully, you will be stronger and take on the bully.
