March 26, 2007
When the Boss is a Bully or Jerk
MNSBC has two stories today about bad bosses. (Either these stories are becoming more common or I'm just better at finding them.) The first story was prompted by an Elle/MSNBC survey that found 16 percent of employees considered their bosses to be bullies. Stephen R. Covey (of "7 Habits" fame) advises approaching the boss calmly, learning to live with the stress or looking for another job. The second article features advice from Robert I. Sutton, author of a recent best seller, "The No A------ Rule." He urges employers to screen out and purge jerks. For the unfortunate victims, Sutton says the best options are becoming indifferent or quitting. (How to Cope When the Boss is a Bully; Advice for Tackling Workplace Jerks; related Ombuds Blog post NYT Career Couch: If Bullied, Visit Ombuds.)
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Bully bosses are no more prevalent than they were before, but people are speaking out more thanks to those who gave it a name. The research and writings from the UK for the past two decades has awakened many who have been targeted by bully bosses. Bully bosses are not just "mean" or controlling, they are often socio-paths in suits, male or female and they are dangerous. They are dangerous because of what their treatment of the targets can lead to, such as ostracism, ridicule, loss of dignity, and even suicide. Everyone knows who these bullies are including the leadership which supports them. Unfortunately, the damage these socio paths do, goes unchallenged most of the time. Organizations lose productivity,due to time lossed from sick leave, money lost due to worker's comp claims, and loss of credibility with employees who know the org. does not protect them from criminal bosses.
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