Office Bullies

There's a bully at Topiary headquarters. Cow is not the target though...an untrimmed shrub is. Cow wonders how much she should speak up about it. What does the Net have to say?

"Bullying is anger or fear displaced onto whoever is the target" says one.

"It's office politics and maneuvering and gamesmanship. Bullies are aggressive people who are very astute at reading the cues." "Workplace bullies share a common goal: to advance their position in the company at the expense of a co-worker, the target."

Workplace bullies want to drive out colleagues they view as threats: the technically competent, independent, those with good social skills and strong ethics."

"Traditional conflict resolution is based on rationality. Bullies are not rational. They will sit right in a meeting and lie."

"In fact, they will come to that meeting with their case made that they've been singled out, they've been picked on, they've been discriminated against."

"Bullies hate a fair fight. They tend to hassle specific people, usually when they are by themselves. There is often strength in numbers" says another.

"Is there any way to end the bullying? Nasty e-mails, abusive notes and conversations overheard by co-workers can all help to document the problems created by the bully. Don't get mad, get evidence."

Topiary wishes people were nicer and that management would pay attention to what is going on and that justice were swift and sure, the good guys would always win and that the world were a kinder, gentler place.

Moo!