Bullying in the work place is something I feel very strongly
about having been a victim myself in the past I very much feel for
anyone who is the current target of a bully. It is horrible place
to be, you feel powerless, confused, upset, angry and exhausted. It
can destroy your self esteem and totally undermine your ability to
achieve anything positive. Productivity and self confidence suffer
which impact both the individual and organisation alike.
In my experience bullies fit into one of four categories:
The "wannabe" and the "guru" are by far the most common and are
not inherently bad people they are simply suffering themselves from
frustration, lack of self esteem, abuse, ineptitude or such like.
The "attention-seeker" and "sociopath", which are fortunately quite
rare, are basically "nasty pieces of work" and are far more
difficult to deal with.
Why is this an issue in IT?
The IT stereotype is characterised as someone who has a high
intellect but is lacking in people skills or emotional intelligence
(EQ). The most common personality type found in IT are people who
are Introverted, Factual, Logical and Organised.
Such people have a strong sense of responsibility and great
loyalty to the organisations in which they work. They rely upon
knowledge and experience to guide them and pay attention to
immediate and practical organisational needs. Generally preferring
to work alone they can be relied upon to fulfil commitments as
stated and on time. They would be described as practical, pragmatic
and sensible but could also be seen as inflexible and overly
serious. They strive for perfection and can be poor at delegation.
They have a tendency to get bogged down in the detail and failing
to see the "wood from the trees". They will strive to accomplish
tasks rather than to understand or appreciate others. They dislike
small talk and may not work towards developing rapport. They are
not tuned into emotional undertones and can, therefore, seem abrupt
or detached.
Now firstly imagine a person who is competitive by nature and
who also possesses the above character type what this adds up to is
your "Guru".
Then secondly imagine a person who is non-competitive by nature
and who also possesses the above character type what this adds up
to is your victim.
This character analysis explains both why bullying is so common
in IT and why the most common type of bully found in IT is the
"Guru".
What can be done to resolve this situation?
Fortunately the "Guru" is the easiest type of bully to deal
with. You need to take away their fears and insecurities and then
they will not find the need to bully:
- Be helpful
- Give them what makes them feel comfortable initially and then
slowly and gradually wean them onto a more sensible routine as you
gain their trust
- Praise their intellect and build on their suggestions
- Help them to understand you your motives, drivers, strengths
and weaknesses
- Be truthful, but also firm
- Don't be sloppy or slap dash
- Keep positive about yourself and your own abilities
- Develop your emotional intelligence through reading, coaching
and training courses
- Subtly and tactfully share your new found knowledge with them
and hope that a bit rubs off
Robina Chatham is a Visiting Fellow at Cranfield school of
Management and MD of her own training company.