Not all employees will have the pleasure of dealing with a fair and inspiring boss. Sometimes, workers will have the bad luck of having to deal with a mean manager or supervisor. If you think you have a really bad one, don’t fret, you’re not alone. According to research, up to 65 million Americans experienced being bullied at the workplace at some point in their professional life.
For brave ones, the first thing that comes to mind when subjected to workplace bullying would be to confront the bully boss. For other victims, they would rather avoid confrontations and hope for less negative dealings with the mean manager. However, licensed therapist, coach and behavior change expert Melody Wilding said that this approach will only result to victims further hurting themselves. Wilding cautioned that taking your workplace bullying problems home and venting about it may feel good, but over time, the negative feelings will eventually impact a person’s mental and emotional health. It can also sometimes lead to depression and anxiety.
So instead of griping about it to a friend or a partner, the best thing to do is to make a plan and prepare. Being able to do so will help a bullying victim manage a difficult situation better. Trying to keep your cool, being less emotional and taking the professional high road will help when that dreaded confrontation or discussion happens. Also, remember to keep track of the instances when the bullying happened. This will be critical when you reach the point wherein you’ll need to forward the concern to human resources.
To learn more about dealing with a mean boss, click here.
