How To Confront Office Bullies And Effectively Deal With Them

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Harassment or bullying in any setup is unacceptable, be it subtle or explicit. Not only it creates a negative impact on a person, but completely changes the environment of the workplace or any kind of work situation.

Therefore, it is true that psychological health risks can be harmful like physical health risks. Even though it is best to look for the signs and nip them in the bud, at times it cannot be stopped due to a lack of understanding or awareness. If bulling happens repeatedly it can destroy a person's mental stability, destroy them from the core and also disrupt their overall well-being.

What Is Bullying?

Bullying is a repeated aggressive behaviour where one person (or group of people) in a position of power deliberately intimidates, abuses, or coerces an individual with the intention to hurt that person physically or emotionally. Acts of bullying can be physical or verbal. Many young people can be unkind to each other during adolescence as they refine social skills and grow into adults. While these interactions are unpleasant, there is a clear line between conflict and bullying, says Education Development Centre (EDC), an NGO.

We have curated 5 tips for you on how to confront bullies if you are attacked, effectively deal with them and shut them down.

1. Know Your Office Policy Related To Workplace Harassment Or Bullying

This is the best way to equip yourself while dealing with a bully in the workplace. You will get a clear idea of what to do, who to approach and steps to follow if you counter a bully. Also, it will surely mention the consequences for a person who bullies you or any coworker in the office.

2. Build A Bridge For Yourself And Ask Them To Stop Their Bullying Behaviour

If the bullying is happening at a subtle level and you are not yet prepared to escalate it or take it to a higher authority. So, instead of reacting to what they are doing or saying, ask them why they do this and confront them, but not as an enemy. Make them understand the consequences. Then present them with a solution so that help them to fix things.

3. Don't Let Your Emotions Get Better Of You, React When Required

The rule is to not get intimidated by a bully, because if you let your emotion pverpower you, you may end up doing negative self and frustrated. This can also hamper your performance in the workplace. React when necessary without getting emotionally disturbed. Therefore, identify toxic behaviour and never get intimidated by them, fight it to shut them down.

4. Stop Before It Starts, Take A Cue From A Bee

When you already know how a sting feels like, identify them. This is one of the best way to stop yourself from bullying. When you work hard and invest your energy to do something good, never let anyone stop you. Honeybees only look good when they fly and suck nectar from flowers, but once you disturb them or their hive, they sting. Therefore, know your trigger areas and defend yourself when you come across bullies.

5. Bookmark The Bullying Behaviour

If you find it hard to remember when you got bullied, then make sure to bookmark the episodes or moments when it happened. 'Who, when, where and how'- are the questions you need to ask yourself and note them down because getting to 'why' will be easier then. You can even talk to a person you trust- a coworker or friend and even take it to the higher authority with the evidence. When you keep a track of the specifics, it becomes easier to narrate the bullying incident.