When I was in elementary school, I saw a fist-fight between a bully and my friend.
Hundreds of children surrounded them, or at least it seemed like that. Everything seems bigger in the rear-view mirror of life.
I’ll never forget how the bully tried to show off, whirling around like a dancer before he threw a punch. It bloodied my friend, a fresh white canvas splashed with angry flares of red paint.
I have always felt bad about not doing anything to stop it. Here’s what I have I learned since then, and some things to do to stop bullying — particularly at the workplace:
Stand Up to the Bully
Robert Sutton, writing for the Wall Street Journal, said that bad employees are like a few bad apples. They can ruin the whole bunch.
Getting rid of them starts with the hiring process and ends with the firing process. Paul Purcell, a chief executive officer at a major financial services company, said he sets the tone in the initial interview.
“During the interview, I look them in the eye and tell them, ‘If I discover that you are a jerk, I am going to fire you,'” he says. “Most candidates aren’t fazed by this, but every now and then, one turns pale, and we never see them again — they find some reason to back out of the search.”
Change the Culture
Merrilyn Astin Tarlton, writing for Attorney At Work, reported a survey of 53.5 million Americans who said they had been bullied at work. That included:
- Shouting, swearing and other verbal abuse
- Unjustified criticism of a singled-out person
- Practical jokes, especially to the same person
Tom Grella, writing for the ABA Law Practice Management Section, said law firms have to take bullying seriously. He recommended a protocol for action, including:
- Informing the firm’s leaders
- Investigating and intervening
- Implementing specific action
For my part, I have never dealt with bullying in a law firm or corporate office. But I got advice from law enforcement about bullying one time.
Long after I finished elementary school, I saw a man standing over a woman on the sidewalk poised to hit her. I walked up and told him to leave her alone, which he did.
I also called the police. The officer said I could punch the guy, if I wanted to. Not advocating violence here, just passing on information.
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