Investing in the Failure of Others

Investing in the failure of others may sound odd, but it is a characteristic of bullying behavior. History is full of people who wanted others to fail for personal gain. Practices such as these indicate that something is wrong with the organization's emotional well-being. A sick organization is created when the hierarchy of needs is not met, such as when the workplace is unstable or unsafe, or social needs are ignored, and when a lack of respect is the norm, and self-efficacy, fulfillment, and autonomy are missing in the organization.  

Dr. Stewart

debrastewartauthor.com

 

Reward and Recognition Review

Reward and recognition programs may harbor many inefficiencies and possible justice issues. To determine whether these inequities exist in your reward and recognition, it is essential to examine trends and patterns across departments, divisions, and regions.

Some things to examine are trends and patterns indicating success variables, such as only certain groups participating for recognition, whether certain groups are excluded, and whether specific rewards and recognition are devalued and replaced by the pursuit of unmet needs. Reward and recognition programs that eliminate marginalized populations promote the survival of the fittest mentality, and hopelessness and despair for those who cannot compete.

Dr. Debra Stewart

An Organizational Approach to Workplace Bullying 

The Loudest and Most Fearful Often Rise to Power

Certain industries and positions seem to cultivate aggressive communication due to the sheer emotional and/or physical demands of the job. Often, leaders and employees have never been given the tools to manage adrenaline, fear, anxiety, and failure. As communication degrades in the workplace, the loudest and most fearful often rise to power. Communication training can help individuals understand their communication styles and those of their coworkers, and with skill development, employees and leaders can learn to state their needs respectfully. Dr. Stewart

An Organizational Approach to Workplace Bullying

Labeling with Intent to Assassinate

Diagnosing psychological conditions without the proper credentials is labeling and a form of bullying because it is character assassination. All medical fields, including mental health psychologists and psychiatrists, require experience and education through residency at reputable hospitals and universities before acquiring the credentials to diagnose and provide treatment. This process takes years of dedication and hard work. Journalists, talk show hosts, or news reporters are not known to have these credentials and should stay within their respective realms of influence and competence. Otherwise, it is just labeling with an intent to assassinate character.  -Dr. Stewart

Tug-of-War

Can you bring two parties together who have acted defensively and resistively? Yes, it is just a matter of returning to each party's mission and values and evaluating the return on investment of such behavior. When bad actors compete, the showdown is meant to be a search-and-destroy mission. Constituents of both parties run from, look away from, or become disgusted when bad tug-of-war behavior is the only form of collaboration and communication. In a tug-of-war, a show of strength and character is the assumed agenda; however, when parties react defensively or are resistant, the weakness of character in each party becomes apparent, and the strength of the members diminishes. Dr. Stewart 

An Organizational Approach to Workplace Bullying

The Psychology of the Swamp No. 22: Communication in the Swamp

When triads exist, otherwise stable employees begin to use dysfunctional methods to communicate everyday processes at work. Dr. Dennis O’Grady (2015), in his Friday Talk News release, clarifies the role of servant leadership, which is to control your mood so that you can fully exhibit your servant-leader character. Within the bully triad, important components of effective communication are missing, and Dr. O’Grady lists eight select components of effective communication that must be a part of servant leadership and the culture of every healthy organization:

·         Respect. Respect for others is shown by acknowledging their value as human beings.

·         Empathy. Empathy leads to trust and creates strong bonds between people.

·         Lack of blame. Lack of blame is the ability not to become defensive and willingness to admit mistakes with a focus on correcting the problem, not the person.

·         Humility. Humility is a lack of arrogance. Humility means one does not think less of themselves—they just think more of others.

·         Emotional mastery. Emotional mastery is, most importantly, the ability to control anger. Emotional mastery requires remaining calm, not berating others, controlling anxiety, and reflecting before acting.

·         Responsibility. Responsibility is accepting ownership by being accountable.

·         Self-confidence. Self-confidence is feeling equal to others, even when others may be in a position of formal power. Self-confident people build self-confidence in others and, in the process, are not threatened by doing so. Rather, they find growth within themselves.

·         Courage. Courage is the willingness to take risk. Courageous people are sometimes known to ask forgiveness rather than permission. They are willing to try even though they may fail. They overcome obstacles, and their courage inspires other to change.

These select elements of effective communication are about interpersonal and intrapersonal communication. However, organizations that also embed these elements into managerial communication, policies, and procedures; organizational standards; and daily memos will see their efforts and strategies for healing the organization realized sooner.

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