Comments on: The Workplace Bully http://indianeconomy.org/2007/07/16/the-workplace-bully/ Issues & insights Sun, 12 Oct 2008 11:49:43 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: Shefaly http://indianeconomy.org/2007/07/16/the-workplace-bully/#comment-201443 Shefaly Sat, 04 Aug 2007 08:21:49 +0000 http://indianeconomy.org/2007/07/16/the-workplace-bully/#comment-201443 It appears that the relationship between bullying and productivity is more real than can be imagined. Perhaps some of the unconvinced quants wish to undertake a longitudinal study of the phenomenon? A recent study found that 64.2 percent of the respondents indicated that either nothing at all or something positive happened to a bad leader. Despite their success in the office, spiteful supervisors can cause serious malaise for their subordinates, the study suggested, citing nightmares, insomnia, depression and exhaustion as symptoms of serving a brutal boss. The authors advocated immediate intervention by industry chiefs to stop fledgling office authoritarians from rising up the ranks. http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSN0230737820070803 It appears that the relationship between bullying and productivity is more real than can be imagined. Perhaps some of the unconvinced quants wish to undertake a longitudinal study of the phenomenon?

A recent study found that 64.2 percent of the respondents indicated that either nothing at all or something positive happened to a bad leader. Despite their success in the office, spiteful supervisors can cause serious malaise for their subordinates, the study suggested, citing nightmares, insomnia, depression and exhaustion as symptoms of serving a brutal boss. The authors advocated immediate intervention by industry chiefs to stop fledgling office authoritarians from rising up the ranks.

http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSN0230737820070803

]]> By: Shefaly http://indianeconomy.org/2007/07/16/the-workplace-bully/#comment-199865 Shefaly Tue, 31 Jul 2007 09:40:42 +0000 http://indianeconomy.org/2007/07/16/the-workplace-bully/#comment-199865 A belated Thanks to all those, who shared their views on this post. I see that any digression from discussions of the economy (the latest one being posts on returning to Mumbai from New York by one contributor) is seen as some kind of betrayal of its readership. After I posted this, my in-box overflowed with emails from friends and acquaintances, some of whom hold senior roles in the booming Indian Economy today and some of whom hold similarly senior roles outside India in multilateral organisations. Each of them found the post cathartic and many said they had suffered bullying at the hands of managers and colleagues in their shiny, multinational workplaces, but they did not know to whom they could turn. In some cases, people admitted that their performance suffered; yet others said that harassment was so evident yet people treated the tormented party as the guilty one. If anything sustainable is to be created, people skills will easily trump any analytical prowess. To that extent, this post may or may not have been about hard policy, but it touched a chord with those who are shaping the Indian Economy today. That was my aim and I imagine that is also the aim of those who started this blog - to create dialogue through the kind of writing that is not commonplace but that addresses urgent and important issues. Thanks again. A belated Thanks to all those, who shared their views on this post. I see that any digression from discussions of the economy (the latest one being posts on returning to Mumbai from New York by one contributor) is seen as some kind of betrayal of its readership.

After I posted this, my in-box overflowed with emails from friends and acquaintances, some of whom hold senior roles in the booming Indian Economy today and some of whom hold similarly senior roles outside India in multilateral organisations. Each of them found the post cathartic and many said they had suffered bullying at the hands of managers and colleagues in their shiny, multinational workplaces, but they did not know to whom they could turn.

In some cases, people admitted that their performance suffered; yet others said that harassment was so evident yet people treated the tormented party as the guilty one.

If anything sustainable is to be created, people skills will easily trump any analytical prowess. To that extent, this post may or may not have been about hard policy, but it touched a chord with those who are shaping the Indian Economy today. That was my aim and I imagine that is also the aim of those who started this blog - to create dialogue through the kind of writing that is not commonplace but that addresses urgent and important issues.

Thanks again.

]]> By: Girish Mallapragada http://indianeconomy.org/2007/07/16/the-workplace-bully/#comment-196517 Girish Mallapragada Thu, 19 Jul 2007 16:07:19 +0000 http://indianeconomy.org/2007/07/16/the-workplace-bully/#comment-196517 Excellent points on workplace ethic. However, I agree with others that this is not the right forum for this topic. I request posters to be a little more specific to the topic - "Indian Economy". Excellent points on workplace ethic. However, I agree with others that this is not the right forum for this topic. I request posters to be a little more specific to the topic - “Indian Economy”.

]]> By: ekjut.com http://indianeconomy.org/2007/07/16/the-workplace-bully/#comment-195976 ekjut.com Wed, 18 Jul 2007 06:11:51 +0000 http://indianeconomy.org/2007/07/16/the-workplace-bully/#comment-195976 <strong>How To deal with Bullies in your workplace...</strong> "those of you, who suffer in silence, know that it *is* possible to recover from such bullying and come out unscathed and even look back on it as a bad dream. Because there are ways to cope, knowing that there is a time to escalate and there is a time... How To deal with Bullies in your workplace…

“those of you, who suffer in silence, know that it *is* possible to recover from such bullying and come out unscathed and even look back on it as a bad dream. Because there are ways to cope, knowing that there is a time to escalate and there is a time…

]]> By: DesiPundit » Archives » The Workplace Bully http://indianeconomy.org/2007/07/16/the-workplace-bully/#comment-195727 DesiPundit » Archives » The Workplace Bully Tue, 17 Jul 2007 17:15:45 +0000 http://indianeconomy.org/2007/07/16/the-workplace-bully/#comment-195727 [...] Shefaly at The Indian Economy Blog writes on dealing with workplace bullies. Needless to say this language, this attitude of total disrespect, and an apparent objective to humiliate everyone was not confined to M’s home. They were all duly brought to work, where employees’ parents, their brains, their education etc were all routinely dredged out when there was no context for all this. These verbal assaults were regular, unstinting and conducted in reporting relationships with a clear power imbalance. Reporting to him, I received weekly threats that my next salary would be withheld and that I will lose my job because many were ‘dying to take it, you know’. The consequence was that while I carried on at work as usual, I lost weight and regularly threw up due to distress. [...] [...] Shefaly at The Indian Economy Blog writes on dealing with workplace bullies. Needless to say this language, this attitude of total disrespect, and an apparent objective to humiliate everyone was not confined to M’s home. They were all duly brought to work, where employees’ parents, their brains, their education etc were all routinely dredged out when there was no context for all this. These verbal assaults were regular, unstinting and conducted in reporting relationships with a clear power imbalance. Reporting to him, I received weekly threats that my next salary would be withheld and that I will lose my job because many were ‘dying to take it, you know’. The consequence was that while I carried on at work as usual, I lost weight and regularly threw up due to distress. [...]

]]> By: Balaji http://indianeconomy.org/2007/07/16/the-workplace-bully/#comment-195684 Balaji Tue, 17 Jul 2007 13:25:58 +0000 http://indianeconomy.org/2007/07/16/the-workplace-bully/#comment-195684 I agree to the fact that this situation is likely in many cases. what is needed is an institutionalised process of training on workplace harassment, sexual harassment etc. Including it in induction programs and other training programs in organisations is essential to drive home the point. I think this not practised in most organisations. I agree to the fact that this situation is likely in many cases. what is needed is an institutionalised process of training on workplace harassment, sexual harassment etc. Including it in induction programs and other training programs in organisations is essential to drive home the point. I think this not practised in most organisations.

]]> By: Santhosh http://indianeconomy.org/2007/07/16/the-workplace-bully/#comment-195680 Santhosh Tue, 17 Jul 2007 13:14:02 +0000 http://indianeconomy.org/2007/07/16/the-workplace-bully/#comment-195680 Shefaly, Thanks for this great post. I always had this theory that it's the incapables and the insecure who become workplace bullies. Your experience confirmed my observation. Shefaly,
Thanks for this great post. I always had this theory that it’s the incapables and the insecure who become workplace bullies. Your experience confirmed my observation.

]]> By: andiron http://indianeconomy.org/2007/07/16/the-workplace-bully/#comment-195674 andiron Tue, 17 Jul 2007 12:51:57 +0000 http://indianeconomy.org/2007/07/16/the-workplace-bully/#comment-195674 indian managers are feudal,petty,personal,parochial & encroaching. No doubt about it. quit when you can as personal happiness is far more valuable than need for gizmos. Personal scars- costs that economists have not been able to ascertain - can take a heavy toll later on in your life. indian managers are feudal,petty,personal,parochial & encroaching. No doubt about it.
quit when you can as personal happiness is far more valuable than need for gizmos. Personal scars- costs that economists have not been able to ascertain - can take a heavy toll later on in your life.

]]> By: navin harish http://indianeconomy.org/2007/07/16/the-workplace-bully/#comment-195575 navin harish Tue, 17 Jul 2007 07:41:14 +0000 http://indianeconomy.org/2007/07/16/the-workplace-bully/#comment-195575 Very nice piece. I guess all of us have experienced it in some form or the other at a degree higher or lower. I experienced it in my previous job and the situation was not very pleasent as I am male and the manager was female. Very nice piece. I guess all of us have experienced it in some form or the other at a degree higher or lower. I experienced it in my previous job and the situation was not very pleasent as I am male and the manager was female.

]]> By: Shreyasi http://indianeconomy.org/2007/07/16/the-workplace-bully/#comment-195529 Shreyasi Tue, 17 Jul 2007 03:35:54 +0000 http://indianeconomy.org/2007/07/16/the-workplace-bully/#comment-195529 A recent McKinsey Quarterly article calculates TCJ (total cost of jerks) in the workplace and if it is anything to go by, then it is shocking to see the amount of cost(in attrition, anger management training, job/team rotation in case of complaints etc)an employer bears to keep a jerk in employment. Also, when hiring managers select a candidate, they look for so-called 'hard' leadership skills and in the bargain lose out on the 'soft' people skills that are imperative in becoming a good leader. A recent McKinsey Quarterly article calculates TCJ (total cost of jerks) in the workplace and if it is anything to go by, then it is shocking to see the amount of cost(in attrition, anger management training, job/team rotation in case of complaints etc)an employer bears to keep a jerk in employment.
Also, when hiring managers select a candidate, they look for so-called ‘hard’ leadership skills and in the bargain lose out on the ’soft’ people skills that are imperative in becoming a good leader.

]]>