How to Confront a Bully at Work

Workplace bullying can be a daunting issue to tackle. It's time to empower yourself with strategies to confront such behavior. Let's delve into understanding the dynamics of bullying at work and how to effectively address it.

Early career professionals are more prone to bullying than their senior colleagues

Research shows that power imbalances between experienced and newer workers can create an authority gap that has the potential to generate abusive and intimidating behaviors from those who have higher status

For an action to be categorized as bullying, it must take place repeatedly and purposefully (or with ill intent). If not addressed, bullying can destroy a person’s core sense of mental stability, damage their overall well-being, and increase job turnover.

Build golden bridges

As soon as you realize you are getting in an office battle zone, gather evidence to block all exits besides the one you consider fair.

William Ury, co-founder of Harvard’s Program on Negotiation and one of the world’s leading experts on mediation of international conflicts, searches for the golden bridge by asking himself, “How do I make it easier for the other side to reach the decision that I want them to get to?”
Once you’ve gathered enough evidence, present it your bully, as well as your desired exit.

Become a bee

To set yourself up for success at work, and protect yourself from bullies before they even start, you can do something similar

Find your sting – a visible way to defend yourself from bullying behavior
Playing by the book can be your “sting” – it can give you a sense of security and help you stay on track, especially early in your career when you’re less familiar with the way things work in your organization

Don’t let your emotions overpower your reaction

If you react instinctively, guided by your negative emotions, you may end up increasing the conflict, reducing mutual gain, and damaging any chances of future collaboration.