Recognize and Resist the First Signs of Mutiny

We can resist enemies we can recognize and name.  We've made progress fighting identified inequities based on race, ethnic origin, religion, gender, etc.  The battles are far from over, but they have been joined and society's voice is clear

Recently, I've been coaching increasing numbers of leaders who have failed to recognize mutiny and, therefore, have not effectively defended themselves and their missions.

To read the rest of this article from the Denver Business Journal, see:
Recognize and Resist the First Signs of Mutiny
http://denver.bizjournals.com/denver/stories/1998/04/13/smallb6.html

These leaders are being told that

• Taking charge is morally reprehensible elitism.
• Setting high standards and quotas, requiring professionalism, holding people accountable and not accepting excuses is too threatening.
• A hierarchical structure and promotion based on merit is dictatorial.
• Seeking success is selfish, undemocratic and damaging to themselves and their families.

The leaders I've coached are intense, hard-working, demanding and focused on success; they're not arrogant or abusive.  But they are being told that there's something anti-social about their drive, standards and styles.

The primary purpose of leaders is not to be sweet; it's to get somewhere, to produce great results.  The primary function of leaders is alignment of their own effort and the efforts of others.

Recognize mutiny in people who do not accept your authority, goals and standards and criticize you when you judge performance, hold people accountable, insist on personal responsibility, and don’t accept excuses or forgive temper tantrums.  Recognize mutiny in people who use harassment, bullying and abuse.

These mutineers usually blame your style for their failure.  Style is not more important than results.  Results determine which style is appropriate.

If you're an employee told by other employees not to work so hard or produce so much, recognize that you're being lured into mutiny against your company and yourself.

If you're an employee with leadership drive and capability, don't stay where you're brutalized.  Go where your talents are appreciated and you can flourish.

Leaders must be fanatics, demanding tremendous energy and effort, and rewarding go-getters. Leading is a great act of courage and daring.  Don't let the enemies of that creative fire get away with mutiny.

The best way to overcome your hesitation and to learn effective leadership skills is to hire Dr. Ben for personalized coaching and organizational consulting.

Design and implement an anti-bullying plan that eliminates the high cost of low attitudes in your workplace.  To get the help you need, call Ben at 1-877-828-5543.

How to Stop Cyberbullying - Videos

I’ve posted two new videos on YouTube about how to stop cyberbullying:

1. How to Stop Cyberbullying | Signs Your Kid is Being Cyberbullied
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRGeES6fNYs

2. How to Stop Cyberbullying: What Parents Can Do | Protect Your Child from Cyberbullies
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmqnkwBbQ6k

The best way to stop bullying of any kind is to hire Dr. Ben for personalized coaching so you can:

1. Develop the strength, courage, will and determination to do your best resolutely, diligently and effectively, and to set boundaries effectively.
   
2. Develop a plan and master the skills necessary to create a bully-free personal life.

Since all tactics depend on the situation, call me at 1-877-8Bullies for expert coaching by phone or Skype.

How to Stop Bullying in the Workplace - Videos

I’ve posted two new videos on YouTube about how to stop bullying in the workplace.
1. How to Stop Bullying at Work | Signs of Overt Bullying in the Workplace
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76YfNwlV2OM

2. How to Stop Bullying at Work: Signs of Sneaky Bullying
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqRnAhMPEKQ

The best way to overcome your hesitation and to learn effective leadership skills is to hire Dr. Ben for personalized coaching and organizational consulting.

Design and implement an anti-bullying plan that eliminates the high cost of low attitudes in your workplace.  To get the help you need, call Ben at 1-877-828-5543.

Stop Being Bullied by Life: Zach Sobiech

Life can give us hard times and bad deals, including some that aren’t caused by our stupidity, ignorance or narcissism.  But we can’t let ourselves be bullied by life or self-bullied by our mind’s fears, weakness or poor thinking.  We mustn’t give up.

I saw a video on and with Zach Sobiech and his family.  Zach was diagnosed with cancer as a young teenager and finally died as a high school senior.  In addition to his real, “reality show,” there’s also a video of a wonderful song he wrote and performed, “Clouds.”

There’s nothing we can say to him or his family or his girl-friend or his friends that will make his dying okay.

We can see in the video how important it is:

1. For us to live each day with as much zest and passion as possible in the face of impending death.
2. That we don’t wait until death seems imminent in order to start living right now.
3. That we don’t give in to any internal or external voices encouraging us to get depressed or commit suicide.

I heard discouraging voices say, “But his family got discouraged and fell apart and cried off camera.”  And I say, “So what?”  They don’t have to never suffer.  Suffering is only suffering.  Tears are only tears.  We feel deeply and we still do what is needful.  Suffering doesn’t get in the way.

Our culture is full of examples of people who didn’t give up; who fought on against the vicissitudes of life and of some who even succeeded in creating wonderful lives after their times of torment and torture.  Ayan Hirsi Ali, Nelson Mandela, Aung San Suu Kyi, and Tevya Bielski spring to my mind.  There are thousands of others.  We also have those not-famous ones in our heritage – our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual heritage.  Among many; my maternal grandmother whose oldest child was killed by a drunk driver.

Alan Bucknam of Notchcode Creative Services posted this quote on his Facebook page:
Maya Angelou's advice to her daughters: "I would say you might encounter many defeats but you must never be defeated, ever.  In fact, it might even be necessary to confront defeat.  It might be necessary, to get over it, all the way through it, and go on.  I would teach her to laugh a lot.  Laugh a lot at the — at the silliest things and be very, very serious.  I’d teach her to love life, I can bet you that."

Another favorite of mine: the sign on the Bridge to Terabithia, “Nothing Crushes Us!”

In addition to standing up to those little voices most of us have, we must educate our children and grandchildren to the ways of the real world and the need for them to have undaunted spirits; to be invulnerable.

Instead of giving your kids lies, give your kids the courage, strength and resilience they’ll need so they don’t take the tragedies of life to heart, so they don’t feel helpless and hopeless.

The best way to stop self-bullying or being beaten down by life is to hire Dr. Ben for personalized coaching so you can:

1. Develop the strength, courage, will and determination to do your best resolutely, diligently and effectively, and to set boundaries effectively.
2. Develop a plan and master the skills necessary to create a bully-free personal life.

Since all tactics depend on the situation, call me at 1-877-8Bullies for expert coaching by phone or Skype.

You Don’t Have to Bully to Evaluate Honestly

Effective supervisors know that the life-blood of any company is feedback and criticism.  While both can lead to corrective action and termination, the idea is to improve attitude and performance.

You don’t have to be arrogant or a tyrant or bully to be effective.

To read the rest of this article from the Denver Business Journal, see:
You Don’t Have to Bully to Evaluate Honestly
http://denver.bizjournals.com/denver/stories/1998/05/18/smallb4.html

Although some supervisors want to improve their skills and update their approach to fit new coaching and team-work paradigms, too many hesitate, thus encouraging destructive situations.  The bottom line: your team needs performance and your job is to guide the current employee or make room for someone new to produce what you need.

Feedback, even reprimand, is kinder than avoidance.  Evaluating is, in itself, success.

Magical thinking - hoping people will straighten out by themselves - doesn’t work and leaves you knowing that you’re afraid to do your job.

Generally the nicest, kindest and most caring act you, as a supervisor, can make is to provide feedback that gives employees a chance to improve in the areas where they, and you, will be judged.  Everyone needs to know the rules of the game.

Establish an environment of open give-and-take.

• Review often.  Give feedback rapidly, accurately, specifically, tactfully, firmly, legally and considerately.
• Take care of your own mental and emotional state and prepare your agenda in writing ahead of time.
• Don’t be off-handed.  Don’t be personal, sarcastic or manipulative.  Focus on behavior, not on name-calling or hallucinations about intentions.
• Begin the evaluation by listing goals accomplished, progress made, special commendations.  Give clear, specific examples of what you think happened and what’s not acceptable.
• Deal with things one at a time.  Distinguish excuses and justifications from analysis of processes that can be improved.

Ultimately, you know you must bite the bullet and honestly evaluate performance.  You’re not supposed to let things slide or make yourself a martyr by doing an employee’s job as well as your own or stab employees in the back by not evaluating them honestly.

The sooner you supervise effectively, the better the chances for success and the better you’ll feel.  That’s especially important for employees on probation where “an ounce of prevention will be worth pounds of flesh’ later.  You don’t have to be arrogant or a tyrant or bully to be effective.

The best way to overcome your hesitation and to learn effective evaluation skills is to hire Dr. Ben for personalized coaching and organizational consulting.

Design and implement an anti-bullying plan that eliminates the high cost of low attitudes in your workplace.  To get the help you need, call Ben at 1-877-828-5543.

How to Stop Bullies: New blog set-up

Notice the new look of this blog on how to stop bullies and bullying in relationships, at school and at work.  We’ve incorporated the blog in the website and both have been transferred to Square Space.  Thanks to Alan Bucknam of Notchcode Creative for resigning the site and incorporating the blog into it.  Great job.

Of course, it’ll take a little time for me to work out any bugs in the shopping cart.  But you’ll get the same great information and advice on how to stop bullies, harassment and abuse.

You should also be able to sign up for my free, electronic newsletter, make comments, find my new posts on Facebook and Twitter, and make your own posts on social media.

What’s the price for putting up with bullies?  Slow erosion of your soul.

The best way to stop bullies in their tracks is to hire Dr. Ben for personalized coaching so you can:

1. Develop the strength, courage, will and determination to do your best resolutely, diligently and effectively, and to set boundaries effectively.
2. Develop a plan and master the skills necessary to create a bully-free personal life.

Since all tactics depend on the situation, call me at 1-877-8Bullies for expert coaching by phone or Skype.

How to Stop Bullying at Work by Temper-Tantrum Bosses

Some bosses habitually manage by temper tantrum, as if they think throwing fits is the best way to maintain authority or increase productivity.

To read the rest of this article from the Denver Business Journal, see:
How to Stop Bullying at Work by Temper-Tantrum Bosses
http://denver.bizjournals.com/denver/stories/1998/06/15/smallb4.html

Don’t put up with on-going harassment, bullying and abuse.  Take effective action.

• Don’t be a martyr.
•  Don’t explode.
• Don’t repress anger.
• Don’t try to relieve the pressure by negativity.

Here are some good choices for dealing with temper-tantrums.

• Put up with it until retirement.
• Fight it strategically.  Prepare to endure a long struggle.  Use the procedures and options your company has.  Make sure that coworkers see, hear and document outbursts.  Accept that there is usually a price for blowing the whistle.
• Go be happy somewhere else.  The boss probably wants you to think that you’re so pathetic and the market is so tight, you have no other options.  Go out in style and with a safety net.  If there’s a pattern of high turnover in that boss’ unit, point out the cost of his tantrums.

If you have a lifelong pattern of tantrum-throwing bosses and/or personal relationships, do some soul searching. You probably have old, self-sabotaging beliefs and strategies.

Insist on what you want; you’ll get what you’re willing to tolerate.

If you’re a temper tantrum boss, grow up.  If you think tantrums are the only way to manage, you’re suffering from a lack of vision and creativity.  Learn to manage and exert appropriate authority humanely.

If you think that someone is forcing you to act against your will, test the assumption.  Don’t remain in an environment where fits of rage are required of you; go where you can be successful while acting decently.

Of course, there are employees who won’t respond until you get in their faces.  You still don’t have to stamp your feet and act out.  Don’t keep employees who respond only to temper tantrums.

Master yourself and stand up for your values.

The best way to stop terminally resistant, controlling, toxic, bullying employees and managers who destroy teamwork and productivity is to hire Dr. Ben for personalized coaching and organizational consulting.

Design and implement an anti-bullying plan that eliminates the high cost of low attitudes in your workplace.  To get the help you need, call Ben at 1-877-828-5543.

How to Stop School Bullying: Evaluating Your School’s Anti-Bullying Program

How can you stop school bullying?  One important step is to learn how to evaluate your school’s anti-bullying program.

Look for five signs so you can judge whether your program will actually stop bullying.  Then we’ll add the key factor that makes or breaks programs.

No matter how well-written or how expensive your school’s stop bullying program is; the ultimate test is always: Does bullying stop?  If bullying stops; great.  But if bullying continues, you must learn what to do to protect your kids from bullying.

There are five “must haves” I put in my effective, anti-bullying school programs:

1. There must be clear and escalating consequences for bullying.  Or is the program full of pious words like “respect,” but no consequences?  Are bullies removed from contact with targets?  Or are targets removed so the principal and teachers and counselors can therapeutize and rehabilitate bullies while they continue harassing their victims?  Do the school attorney and the district administrator actively support the anti-bullying program?  Are police involved at school?
2. There must be lots of publicity for the anti-bullying program in the local media and at school.  Are there assemblies for kids all during the school year?
3. Teachers, school counselors, cafeteria staff and bus drivers must be involved.  Are they taught the signs of subtle manipulation and covert bullying?  Do they know how to recognize “professional victim” bullies?  Do they know what constitutes evidence and how to document what they see and hear?
4. The kids must be excited and involved, and they must have evidence that bullies will be removed.  Are kids taught specifically what to do and who to go to if they’re bullied overtly or covertly?  Are kids taught what to do if they witness bullying?  Or are they left to be spectators and bystanders while targets are made into victims?
5. Parents must be actively involved.  Are all parents notified about the program?  Are there programs for teachers and parents to meet together during the year?  Are “test cases” publicized within the legal bounds of confidentiality?

Now for the single most important factor in making school anti-bullying programs effective: your principal.

1. All plans and programs are just words on pieces of paper.  Even the best plans have no life and power of their own.
2. What gives them life and power is the strength, energy, determination and character of the people involved; most importantly, your principal.
3. Does your principal really want to stop bullying and does he or she really know how?  Is your school principal willing to stand up to bullying kids and their bullying parents who will threaten to sue?
4. In addition to the program, does your principal have an action plan for when bullying occurs – because relentless bullies will push the boundaries of even the best anti-bullying school programs?

Look at your principal’s track record: Have any kids been removed during the past few years?  If your principal is proud that they’ve never had a case of bullying then, probably, bullying is ignored, minimized, condoned or even enabled.  Beware.  Do-nothing principals, even with the best stop bullying programs on paper, can turn targets into victims.

Parents, your task at school is to promote anti-bullying programs and to actively support principals who want to stop bullying and who need your help to back them up.  Organize a small group of committed parents to support your good principals and to pressure your reluctant or cowardly ones to take effective action.

Don’t wait for school administrators, principals, counselors and teachers to empower you and your kid.  Take the power you need and learn to use it skillfully so you can stop harassment, bullying and abuse.

Learn how to fight back against school bullying, verbally, physically and legally.

Principals and other school officials are afraid of two things.  You can use these to stimulate do-nothing, reluctant principals to take action to protect your children, the targets of bullying.  You can even use these fears to stimulate principals who otherwise ignore or even condone bullying by kids and their bullying parents.

The best way to stop bullying at school is to hire Dr. Ben for personalized coaching so you can:

1. Determine if your school’s anti-bullying program is effective or hire Dr. Ben to help your principal develop and implement an effective anti-bullying school program.
2. Develop a plan and master the skills you need to make reluctant principals defend your kids from school bullying.

Since all tactics depend on the situation, call me at 1-877-8Bullies for expert coaching by phone or Skype.

How to stop bullying at work: Respond immediately to the early warning signs

The greatest loss of a company’s vital strength is usually the continual loss of productivity caused by poor performers and “rotten apples” – people with low attitudes and negative, bullying, abusive, destructive behavior.  Often, this steady draining is overlooked as a background fixture because it doesn’t show up on one specific budget line

To read the rest of this article from the Denver Business Journal, see:
How to stop bullying at work: Respond immediately to the early warning signs
http://denver.bizjournals.com/denver/stories/1998/10/12/smallb4.html

Don’t look the other way because you’re too busy or worry that it will be too difficult to remove a troublesome employee or question your own judgment or fear that replacement people will be too hard to find or too costly.  These excuses aren’t sufficient compared to the hidden costs in low morale and productivity, and high sick leave and turnover.  Generally, 95% of your people-problem time will be spent on problems caused by 5% of your people.  Despite wishful thinking, infections don’t heal by themselves.

You don’t have to be a therapist to see the early warning signs.  You do have to be savvy enough to understand the value of lancing an infection before you need transfusions or of antibiotics before gangrene sets in.  Respond rapidly to the early warning signs in order to isolate the plague carriers from the employees who can elevate their productivity in response to caring, feedback and training.

Learn to stop harassment, bullying and abuse in its initial stages by responding swiftly and effectively to early warning signs.

Some early warning signs (see original article for details).  Beware of people who:

• Proudly express negativity, envy, blame, excuses, self-righteousness and name tags like, “professional critic”; who don’t listen to or value your concerns or who don’t understand why other people do what they do.
• Continually push the boundaries and limitations; say they’re entitled to whatever they want; insist that you bend or justify the rules; up-level demands as soon as you give in; jump to conclusions; take things personally or think in all-or-none terms; refuse to accept appropriate responsibility to produce until you make conditions absolutely perfect for them according to their standards.
• Disrespect coworker’s rights or privacy; sarcastically criticize others in public or in private; refuse to praise or reward when appropriate; take all the credit but not a share of the responsibility; resist legitimate authority and accountability.
• Have no heroes or mentors.

Teach yourself to recognize and document problems while they’re still molehills.  Notice when you repeatedly avoid or appease employees because it’s distasteful to deal with them or when you feel drained just thinking about them.  Pay attention to which workers you mentally carry like monkeys on your back.  Be aware of whose slack always needs picked up by others.

Begin feedback and corrective action on day-one of probation.  Act as if the chances of getting sued by rotten apples increases by 1% each day you let them stay without documenting their behavior.

Your best safeguards are continual evaluation, documentation and determined willingness to treat problems immediately, before the infection spreads.

Employees should scrutinize bosses using the same criteria.

The best way to stop terminally resistant, controlling, toxic, bullying employees and managers who destroy teamwork and productivity is to hire Dr. Ben for personalized coaching and organizational consulting.

Design and implement an anti-bullying plan that eliminates the high cost of low attitudes in your workplace.  To get the help you need, call Ben at 1-877-828-5543.

How to Stop School Bullying: How Parents Make Kids Victims

http://www.bulliesbegone.com/blog/2008/01/28/how-to-stop-bullies-book-reviewed-in-denver-business-journal/Many well-meaning parents fail their kids.  They don’t prepare their kids to protect themselves from school bullying or, even worse, they turn their kids from targets into victims of harassment, abuse and bullying at school.

Of course, bullies are 100% responsible for bullying.  There are no excuses.

Also, school officials – principals, teachers and even therapists and counselors – often tolerate or even encourage school bullying and harassment by trying to educate and rehabilitate bullies, while they allow the bullying to continue; while they allow your kid to suffer.

But the major causes of problems for good kids are well-meaning parents who make their kids bigger targets for bullies.  These parents give their kids messages that hurt their kids’ chances of stopping abuse and bullying.

Here are 5 things well-meaning parents tell their kids that make them bigger targets for bullies

1. Bullies are bullied at home, they’re hurting inside, so you should accept what they do and forgive them.  Don’t make bullies feel bad.
2. If you ignore bullies, they’ll stop.
3. If you’re nice, kind and reasonable to bullies, they’ll stop bullying and become friends.
4. Never fight back verbally or physically; if you do, bullies will beat you up more.
5. Fighting is wrong; if you do, you’re just as bad; violence never solves problems.

All of these are un-true!

I’m a scientist; I do experiments and look at the results.  If your kid is kindly and nice to a bully, does the bullying stop?  If yes, wonderful.  And the bully was not a relentless bully.  He was just a kid having a bad day or needing to learn how to get along better.

But if the bullying did not stop, or the harassment and abuse got worse, your kid is facing a relentless, bullying predator and you’d better give your kid the truth about the outside world and also the skills about how to face it.

Don’t think you can protect and coddle your kid.  Don’t think that school officials will automatically protect your kid.  Don’t think you can arrange the world so your kid never faces bullies.  While you’re working to make sure your kid’s school has an effective anti-bullying program, teach your kid the truth about the world.

Here are 5 things to tell your kids so they can have the courage, strength and determination to protect themselves; so they don’t become victims:

1. Bullies, like hyenas, are attracted to weak prey – kids who don’t have friends and won’t fight back.  When bullies see that a kid’s feelings are hurt, they take that as an invitation to harass the kids even more.
2. When kids continually ignore bullies, or treat them with kindness and reasonableness, or beg them to stop, bullies take that as an invitation to abuse kids even more.
3. When a bully finds out that your kid won’t fight back, they take that as an invitation to bully even more.
4. Bullies are made bolder when other kids stand by and don’t protest.  Make friends and allies.
5. Bullies stop bullying only when they’re stopped – by your kid’s pushing back or by the authorities stopping them.  When a bully finds out that school principals, teachers or parents won’t stop them, they take that as an invitation to increase bullying.

To stop school bullying, parents must not make their kids into victims.  Instead, prepare your kid to be successful in the outside world.  Prepare your kid to read the signs in the jungle at school and to know how to respond strongly and successfully to harassment, abuse and bullying.  If you don’t, you’re making them bigger targets; you’re responsible for making them victims.

Here’s why telling kids to understand bullies hurts their chances of stopping abuse.  When kids continue trying to understand why bullies bully, they keep excusing the bullying; they keep doing therapy on the bullies and they keep hesitating to push back.

It’s as if your kid is thinking, “Until I understand why the bully is harassing me, I can’t stop it nicely by placating the bully.”

Usually, the best way to stop bullies is to stand up and push back – verbally and physically, if necessary.  Bullies usually respect kids who push back verbally or physically.

Your children may be targets. Don’t let them become victims.  If we don’t stop bullies, they’ll think your kid is easy prey; they’ll harass your kid more.

Instead of giving your kids lies, give your kids the courage, strength and resilience they’ll need so they don’t take attacks to heart, don’t feel helpless and hopeless, and don’t become victims of bullying-caused depression or suicide.

Don’t wait for school administrators or bullies to empower you and your kid.  Take the power you need and learn to use it skillfully so you can stop harassment, bullying and abuse.

The best way to stop controlling, bullying husbands is to hire Dr. Ben for personalized coaching so you can:

1. Develop the strength, courage, will and determination to do your best resolutely, diligently and effectively, and to set boundaries effectively.
2. Develop a plan and master the skills necessary to create a bully-free personal life.

Since all tactics depend on the situation, call me at 1-877-8Bullies for expert coaching by phone or Skype.

How to Stop Terminally Resistant Bullies at Work

 Most of you spent 95% of your people-problem time working with 5% of your employees - the “Terminally Resistant” bullies who will not meet the standards no matter what you do to help them.

To read the rest of this article from the Denver Business Journal, see:
How to Stop Terminally Resistant Bullies at Work
http://denver.bizjournals.com/denver/stories/1999/02/15/smallb5.html

We’re not talking about employees who will respond to encouragement and exhortation, rewards and consequences, or people who are difficult to supervise but who will make progress when you’re clear, not-personal and specify measurable steps and timelines in your feedback.  We’re not even talking about boundary pushers who waste your time and energy keeping your guard up but who may eventually perform.

We are talking about the people who will fight to the death to have control of making and interpreting the rules.  They won’t accept any other authority in their little ponds; they demand unconditional support and subservience from everyone.

You recognize them – these bullies have black belts in resistance and will block every move you make.

• They’re the righteous guardians of how things “should” be and you’re “damned if you do, damned if you don’t.
• When you don’t do it their way, no matter how small your mistake, they feel justified in retaliating, harassing or bullying you in any way they want because, “You deserve it and it serves you right.”
• They insist that their difficulties are always acceptable excuses for their lack of performance.
• It’s your fault because you hurt their feelings (your feelings don’t count).  Therefore, you have all the responsibility to apologize and make things acceptable to them - according to their rules.
  You have to make it perfect for them before you can hold them accountable – and you can never be perfect enough.
• They are never satisfied.  They expect every favor even if they didn’t do the work to make them deserving.

These narcissistic, abusive bullies will not change in your work-lifetime.
Like infected splinters, the only way to deal with these terminally resistant bullies is to remove them.  Follow the law and company codes – demand professional behavior, professional communication and high standards of performance.

Unfortunately you may not have the authority to remove a terminally resistant employee.  You may have one for a coworker or supervisor or you may work for an organization which has a culture that puts compassion for the bully before compassion for all those who must deal with him/her or before the necessary performance standards.

If your company harbors a Human Resources Department that always blames managers, never employees, for employee dissatisfaction, you may have to get HR to supervise the resistant employee.

It’s a matter of conscience about trying to off-load the resistant employee to another unsuspecting supervisor (which is often how you got that person to begin with) or to a supervisor who loves these challenges.

If you have no authority, common strategies are to protect yourself, wait it out, look for a “smoking gun”, risk bringing it up with higher authorities or transfer within the company.

If no higher authority cares or the company rewards whistle blowers with ostracism or firing, find another company.  Why leave yourself exposed to a source of infection that will ultimately poison your environment and your life?

The best way to stop terminally resistant, controlling, bullying employees and managers who destroy teamwork and productivity is to hire Dr. Ben for personalized coaching and organizational consulting.

Design and implement an anti-bullying plan that eliminates the high cost of low attitudes in your workplace.  To get the help you need, call Ben at 1-877-828-5543.

Stop Bullying and other Surefire Methods for Undermining Teamwork

Some managers, even experienced ones, have mastered methods that destroy teamwork.  They may think they’re doing what they’re supposed to or what worked to get them promoted, so they’re surprised when the effects are disastrous.

Are you practicing these techniques?

To read the rest of this article from the Denver Business Journal, see:
Stop Bullying and other Surefire Methods for Undermining Teamwork http://denver.bizjournals.com/denver/stories/1999/04/19/smallb5.html

Bullying and other Surefire Methods for Undermining Teamwork,

1. Be concerned most with your power and prestige.  Take credit for all successes, regularly sabotage or throw your people to the wolves.  Insist on flattery, play favorites and replace the “Golden Boy/Girl” often.
2. Practice bullying.  Expect failure, be demanding, disappointed, defensive and difficult, take everything personally, make personal attacks, throw tantrums, never apologize or do so only with cheap treats.
3. Create chaos.  Be moody, changeable, indecisive, unfair, make decisions for no apparent reason, give contradictory orders, change priorities often but don’t tell anyone.  Withhold approval, scatter employees’ efforts, assign tasks that emphasize their dislikes and weaknesses.
4. Keep employees in the dark.  Have everything go through you, expect people to read your mind, tell each worker a different story, don’t define appropriate responsibility, authority and accountability procedures, assign responsibility without authority or resources.
5. Create suspicion, distrust and fear.  Encourage employees to disparage each other and their superiors, broadcast their comments, run them down behind their backs, complain about them to your superiors, reveal confidential material, stimulate gossip, make some up yourself, focus on personal attacks not problem-solving.  Be negative.  Reward passive-aggressive behavior.
6. Lower standards.  Assume all employees are incompetent, micromanage, pay attention only to unimportant details, reward non-productive employees first, overload your most productive people.
7. Waste employees’ time.  Tell rambling personal stories just before deadlines, harangue about religion and politics, invent busy work, emphasize cover-your-butt activities.
8. Be cold, indifferent and ignore feelings.  Demand “professionalism” but never say, “Please” or “Thank you.”
9. Be unavailable.  Don’t listen to suggestions or complaints.  Use meeting time for personal calls or grooming.
10. Be a martyr.  Never delegate, do everything yourself, blame employees for not volunteering or appreciating you.
11. Don’t praise.  Always find fault with something, focus on what’s undone or not perfect, thwart efforts to do a good job, ridicule training, block advancement.
12. Put stockholders before customers or employees.  Be greedy, loot company assets.

You’re being successful when morale and productivity plummet, and stress, anger, fights, pilfering, absenteeism, personal and sick leave and turnover increase. Enjoy!

The best way to stop controlling, bullying employees and managers who destroy teamwork and productivity is to hire Dr. Ben for personalized coaching and organizational consulting.

Design and implement an anti-bullying plan that eliminates the high cost of low attitudes in your workplace.  To get the help you need, call Ben at 1-877-828-5543.

How to Stop Controlling, Abusive Husbands

Overt bullies are easy to recognize; they’re loud, obnoxious, threatening and in your face.

Sneaky, bullying, controlling husbands are harder to recognize.  If we don’t recognize their tactics and label them as bullies, we won’t energize ourselves to develop and carry out an effective plan to stop them.

Seven warning signs of bullying spouses are:

1. They think they know best about everything; just ask them.  They point out all your mistakes and failings.  They think you should ask their permission before you do anything.  They make your life miserable if you don’t do what they say.  Their absolute certainty seduces you into self-doubt and self-bullying.  You become unsure of your own judgment and wisdom; eventually you give in to them.
2. They think they’re more important than you are.  Your life should be devoted to their needs (wants, whims).  Their desires, jealousies, issues and concerns (not yours) should be the focus of all interactions.  They’re entitled to get what they want.  Their feelings get hurt so easily that you’re too polite or too afraid to upset them by trying to make your feelings or opinions matter.  They’re controlling, bullying spouses.
3. They think their sense of humor is correct.  They can say whatever they want and you’re supposed to take it.  Some put you down in public; others only in private so outside people will think they’re so sweet.  They make nasty, vicious, demeaning, hurtful remarks or they tell embarrassing secrets.  Then they laugh like it’s a joke.  If you object, they say you’re too sensitive or they were kidding.  Your feelings are stupid and not logical.  And you better not say anything they don’t like.
4. Everyone is a pawn in their game.  You have value only as long as you can help them or you worship them.  They’re selfish, arrogant and demanding husbands; they think they should be waited on.  Anyone who doesn’t help or who gets in their way becomes an enemy.  You’re afraid that if you disagree, they’ll strike back at you.
5. They think their excuses, excuse them.  Their reasons are always correct.  Their feelings are their justifications for anger, retaliation and revenge.  If you don’t agree, you simply don’t understand or you’re evil.  Self-deluded, narcissistic spouses think their jealousy, anger and hatred are not bad characteristics.
6. Their logic, reasoning and rules, rule.  They’re allowed to do anything they want – to take what they want, to attack or to strike back in any way they want – but everyone else should be bound by their rules.  If your feelings are hurt by what they’ve said or done, it’s your fault and your problem.  They’re right and righteous.  Everything is your fault.  They’re great debaters or they simply talk so loud and long that eventually you give in.
7. They think they don’t have anything to learn.  They insist on doing things their way, even though they fail repeatedly.  They won’t listen; especially when they’re failing.

Also, anyone who bullies helpless people – like clerks and waiters – will eventually get around to bullying you.  Get rid of them on the first date.

You can never be kind, nice, sweet or caring enough to change them.  You’re not the rescuer or therapist to solve their psychological problems.  They’re bullying, controlling abusive spouses.

Don’t debate or argue with them.  Don’t wait for them to agree or to give you permission.  Don’t wait for them to empower you.  Take power; whether they like it or not.  Plan in secret if you have to.  Dump them or get away as fast as you can.

Ignore your self-bullying – that little voice that doesn’t like you, that tells you that the bullying husband might be right.  If you don’t trust your own guts you’ll get sucked in, just like you would into a black hole.

Relentless bullies – abusive, controlling spouses – are predators who go after the weak, the isolated and those who don’t resist.

If we don’t stop bullies, they’ll think we’re easy prey.  Like sharks, they’ll just go after us more.

The best way to stop controlling, bullying husbands is to hire Dr. Ben for personalized coaching so you can:

1. Develop the strength, courage, will and determination to do your best resolutely, diligently and effectively, and to set boundaries effectively.
2. Develop a plan and master the skills necessary to create a bully-free personal life.

Since all tactics depend on the situation, call me at 1-877-8Bullies for expert coaching by phone or Skype.

How to Stop Harassment, Abuse and Bullying in the Workplace: Winning Work-Wars

Sometimes, you make or find yourself in a war at work.

When it’s against a competitor it’s usually easy to see what you need to do - gather your forces, and fight to win.

But when it’s against someone in your organization, many people don’t recognize that it’s a battle to the death and they don’t rally themselves appropriately.

To read the rest of this article from the Denver Business Journal, see:
How to Stop Harassment, Abuse and Bullying in the Workplace: Winning Work-Wars
http://denver.bizjournals.com/denver/stories/1999/12/13/smallb5.html

Internal work-wars are waged in many situations:

• Someone hates you even though you didn’t do anything to them; someone wants turf or power over you.
• Supervisors, teams or coworkers persecute a designated scapegoat.
• Two people competing for only one position; someone intending to claw their way to the top over your corpse.
• Partners separating; hostile transfers or takeovers; supervisors or companies wanting power or rid of you.
• Family businesses destroyed by family feuds.

You know it’s war when you’ve tried every win/win approach you can think of but the other person thinks it’s still your fault and the only option you’re offered is unconditional surrender.

Of course, battles to stop bullies are not confined to the workplace.  The same types of wars happen between couples, between siblings or in extended families, or among friends or neighbors.

Some clues that you’re fighting for your life:

• Negativity, harassment and bullying are directed at you; rumors and lies are spread behind your back.
• Promises are made but later denied; important memos or files disappear.
• A new employee or supervisor criticizes you no matter what you do; the other person is willing to destroy everything just to avoid giving you anything (as in the movie, “The War of the Roses”).
• You have to do all the appeasing or changing because the others are so stubborn and difficult that no one expects them to give anything.

Your choices.

• Wish it would go away; continue to plead for a win/win solution; moan and complain endlessly (after all, it really is not fair); obsess on why it’s happening to you or on the injustices of capitalism.
• Throw fits, threaten violence.
• Run away.
• Fight a tactical and successful war.

Usually, the only productive pathways are leaving under the best terms you can or fighting to win.

Rules for fighting and winning these work-wars (see the original article for details):

1. Get it.  The sooner you recognize your situation, the sooner you can mobilize yourself effectively.  The longer you live in illusions driven by hopes, fears and unrealistic beliefs – if you’re nice enough people will like you and be fair to you and help you - the more mistakes you’ll make, the more you’ll give away, the weaker you’ll make your position.
2. If you lose your head, you’ll lose your head.  If you throw fits, threaten violence or start reacting without an effective plan, you’ll sabotage yourself.
3. Victory often goes to the most determined and disciplined.
4. Get the best armor and weapons.
5. Know thy enemy.
6. Divide and conquer.
7. Finish the war – no truces.

Often, individuals need coaching and organizations need consulting to help them design and implement an anti-bullying plan that fits the situation at work.  To get the help you need, call Ben at 1-877-828-5543.

How to Stop Cyberbullying: Tech-Deficient Parents Can Help

Do you need to be tech savvy in order to protect your kid from cyberbullying and harassment from kids at school?

Many parents think that the major threats to their kids are adult predators who stalk them online.  Those abusive adults are real threats and you can learn how to protect your kids even if you’re not tech savvy.

But adult predators are not the cyberbullies that most kids will encounter.  Your kids are in more danger of harassment, intimidation, abuse and cyberbullying by kids they know at school through their phones and on online social network sites.

Fortunately you do not need to be tech savvy to protect your kids.  With coaching:

1. You can learn how to give your children the courage, strength and resilience they’ll need so they don’t take attacks to heart and don’t become victims of cyberbullying-caused depression or suicide.
2. You can learn what to do to prevent trouble before it starts.  Learn what your kids need to know beyond porno sites, phishers, spammers, sexting and giving away personal information online.
3. You can learn what your children are doing online and on their phones.  Learn how to protect your children from cyberbullying that occurs on social networks and especially on cell phones.
4. You can learn how to respond rapidly and effectively after your children are attacked, including when and how to get the police involved.
5. You can learn what you can do to make sure school officials protect your children – even if they don’t want to take action.

Cyberbullying is beyond school and social network “drama.”  Cyberbullying may be a criminal offense.  If you allow your kids to become victims, cyberbullying can have terrible effects.

Your children may be targets.  Don’t let them become victims.  If you don’t stand up to cyberbullies, they’ll think your kid is easy prey; they’ll just harass and abuse your kid more.

Post #32 – BulliesBeGoneBlog Parenting Bully-Proof Kids
http://www.bulliesbegone.com/blog/2008/12/01/parenting-bully-proof-kids-stop-school-bullies-in-their-tracks/

Let’s focus on step one: Giving your kids the courage, strength and resilience they’ll need so they don’t take attacks to heart and don’t become victims of cyberbullying-caused depression or suicide.

You don’t have to be tech savvy to help your kid be strong enough to stand up to jerks and nasty kids at school.  You lived through your own self-doubt and hesitation when you were young so you know what it takes.

Learn to keep a flame burning in your kid’s heart.  Teach your children to be strong mentally, emotionally and spiritually.

Remember the sign in the movie, “The Bridge to Terabithia,”  “Nothing Crushes Us!”
You and your children need to be that strong, courageous and determined.  Also, learn the skills necessary to be successful.

You know how school bullying was stopped when you were a kid.  Technology has changed but the kids haven’t.  You know what didn’t stop school bullies:

Minimizing, avoiding, or ignoring bullying

Begging, bribing or appeasing committed bullies

Accepting apologies, excuses, justifications and promises ... repeatedly

Giving in to fear, intimidation or blackmail
Convince yourself that the problem is too difficult to solve

Don’t wait for school administrators or cyber-bullies to empower you and your kid.  Take the power you need and learn to use it skillfully so you can stop harassment, abuse and cyberbullying.

BulliesBeGoneBlog Power is Better than Empowerment
http://www.bulliesbegone.com/blog/2011/05/29/power-is-better-than-empowerment/

The best way to stop cyberbullies is to hire Dr. Ben for personalized coaching so you can:

Teach your kids to protect themselves, just like they would if they were growing up in the wilderness where there are predators who would eat them.

Protect your kids from school administrators who won’t defend targets and who may even encourage or collude with cyberbullying kids and their bullying parents.

Post #8 – BulliesBeGoneBlog Stop Bullies book reviewed in Denver Business Journal
http://www.bulliesbegone.com/blog/2008/01/28/how-to-stop-bullies-book-reviewed-in-denver-business-journal/

Since all tactics depend on the situation, expert coaching by phone or Skype helps.  Call me at 1-877-8Bullies to design a plan that fits you and your kid's situation at school.  And build your will and skill to carry it out effectively.

BulliesBeGone Books and CDs
http://www.bulliesbegone.com/products.html

BulliesBeGone Hire Ben
http://www.bulliesbegone.com/hire_ben.htm

Be an Electromagnetic Leader: Repel Bullies and Slackers, Attract Great Performers

I use the image of an electromagnet to describe the best leaders in the workplace.  What are the properties of an electromagnet?

1. The more energy we put into it, the stronger the magnetic field to align al the other electromagnets.
2. Like all magnets, some other electromagnets will be repelled – people with low attitudes (bullies, whiners, narcissists) and/or poor productivity (slackers).
3. Like all magnets, some other electromagnets will be attracted – great people (go-getters with high energy, wonderful attitudes and high productivity).

Now, what does that mean and how to put it into effect?

To read the rest of this article from the Denver Business Journal, see:
Be an Electromagnetic Leader: Repel Bullies and Slackers, Attract Great Performers http://denver.bizjournals.com/denver/stories/2000/01/17/smallb5.html

“Electromagnetic Leadership” rallies, aligns and focuses your own energy and the efforts of all the people around you

Why “Electromagnetic?”  We’re all like electromagnets, creating our own directions and responding to the magnetic fields of those around us.  The more electricity we put into an electromagnet, the stronger the magnetic field.  The stronger the magnetic field, the stronger the force that attracts and aligns, or repels (where appropriate).

Can you be that powerful?  Yes.  It’s a combination of your passion, dedication and drive; your insistence that everything, from top to bottom, be done up to your standards; the power of your vision, mission and commitment.

You don’t have to be loud, arrogant or pushy in order to have a powerful effect.  You do have to be determined, persevering, resilient and flexible.

Your culture – your standards, methods and systems – is a result of your energy; of what behavior you require.
The more powerful the electromagnetic field you create, the more the other leaders, managers and employees must become enthusiastically aligned and unswervingly committed, or else leave.

That means you must enforce and reinforce your standards of productivity and professional behavior.  Stop harassment, abuse and bullying at work.  Stop negativity, entitlements and backstabbing at work.  Success comes before personal agendas.  Require teamwork and productivity in the service of the customer and profits.

Rules and procedures are important but they’re secondary to tasks done correctly and successfully.

Systems, processes and pious phrases don’t make companies great; they’re just words on paper or wall-plaques.  They have no life or power on their own.  Even the best “Way” is neither self-perpetuating nor self-replicating.

The success of your “Way” is created by the energy of individual leaders, at all levels, who reinforce your magnetic field through organization, tools and effort.  Their determination is required to stop negativity, harassment and bullying.  Their determination is necessary to promote productivity.

If you lose these individual organizing centers or they become disoriented, your enterprise will lose alignment and soon fall apart.

Finding your "magnetic north" is only the first step.  The second step is being an electromagnetic leader.  The more your juice, the greater will be the resulting magnetism.

Often, individuals need coaching and organizations need consulting to help them design and implement an anti-bullying plan that fits the situation at work.  To get the help you need, call Ben at 1-877-828-5543.

How to Stop Cyberbullying: Signs Your Kid is being Harassed

Parents need to learn to recognize the signs that our kids might be the target of cyberbullying and harassment, and how to get the information you need, even if our kids are reluctant to talk.

Observe each child individually and compare with how he/she was before.  Seven signs your kids are harassed, abused or cyberbullied are:

1. Have they stopped checking their phones?  Do they forget or break or lose their phones?  Do they get upset, depressed or angry when they look at their phones?
2. Have their grades slipped?  Have they become reluctant to go to school?  Do they want to transfer schools?
   
3. Have they stopped after-school activities?  Do they want you to pick them up after school?
   
4. Have they stopped talking about school?  Do they say that kids are jerks?  Do they ask about kids ganging up on other kids?
   
5. Have they become emotionally labile – very sensitive, easily upset, moody, grumpy, cry a lot? Have they given up? Do they talk about how hopeless or pointless life is or do they seem depressed or do they talk about suicide?
   
6. Do they isolate themselves – no longer follow social networks, hide in their rooms after school, stop using the computer?  Have they stopped taking care of their personal stuff or how they look?  Do they say that former friends aren’t friends any more?
   
7. Have they stopped eating?  Do they have trouble sleeping or have nightmares?

After you think you’ve seen signs that your kid might be subjected to cyberbullying, harassment or abuse at school, the next step in stopping cyberbullying is to get the information you need, even if your kid is reluctant to talk.

You must be willing to pry and be persistent, no matter how reluctant your child is to talk.

Five questions you can ask are:

1. What’s happening?
   
2. Tell me about cyberbullying, harassment and abuse at school?
   
3. How do the teachers, principal, bus drivers and cafeteria staff protect kids in your school from cyberbullies or drama?
   
4. What happens in your school’s anti-cyberbullying program?
   
5. How do you and your friends stand up to cyberbullies when you see other kids being ganged up on through their computers or phones?

Don’t be a tyrant or inquisitor, but do keep asking.

If you suspect your kid is being subjected to cyberbullying, you can also get information by:

1. Checking your kid’s texts and messages.
   
2. Looking at your kid’s social network pages or what’s being said about them.
   
3. Asking the parents of your kid’s friends.
   
4. Asking teachers, counselors, principal, school district administrators and school board members about cyberbullying and harassment.

Cyberbullying is beyond school and social network “drama.”  It can have terrible effects on kids and it may be a criminal offense.

Consult a specialist lawyer and your police department.  Do they have a special unit dedicated to stopping cybercrimes?  Have representatives spoken at school?

Learn how to make reluctant school administrators take action, even if they say that cyberbullying has been off-campus.

Cyberbullies at school are haters and emotional manipulators.  They try to make your kid feel helpless and hopeless.  They isolate him.

Your kid can never be kind, nice, sweet or caring enough to change these school cyberbullies.  She’s not the rescuer or therapist to solve their psychological problems.  She shouldn’t debate or argue with them, but also shouldn’t ignore them.

If we don’t stop cyberbullies, they’ll think we’re easy prey; they’ll just go after us more.

Your kid may be a target, but he doesn’t have to be a victim.  Fight back.

Parents must learn how to:

• Teach your kids to protect themselves, just like they would if they were growing up in the wilderness where there are predators who would eat them.
• Protect your kids from school administrators who won’t defend targets and who may even encourage or collude with cyberbullying kids and their bullying parents.

Since all tactics depend on the situation, expert coaching by phone or Skype helps.  Call me at 1-877-8Bullies to design a plan that fits you and your kid's situation at school.  And build your will and skill to carry it out effectively.

How to Stop School Bullying: Recognize Sneaky School Bullies

Stopping school bullying that is overt – physical violence or threats; nasty verbal and emotional intimidation in public – is relatively easy because the bullying is in public.  There will be witnesses and our kids might be able to get evidence, including recordings on their smart phones. How to stop school bullying that is covert – sneaky, manipulative, backstabbing, cutting out, putting down, embarrassing, demeaning – is usually more difficult.

The first step in how to stop school bullies is to recognize their tactics as bullying so you can gather your courage, strength and skill to protect yourself.

Part of good parenting means that we teach our children the seven early warning signs of stealthy, critical, righteous, controlling bullies at school.

1. They make the rules; they control everything – what your kid can do, where she can go, who she can be friends with.
2. They push boundaries, argue endlessly and withhold friendship if your kid doesn’t do exactly what they want.  Your kid must never disagree or keep them waiting.
3. Their standards rule.  Your kid’s "no" isn't accepted as "no." The controlling bully is always right and your kid is always wrong.  The stealth bully never apologizes.  She always has excuses and justifications.  The sneaky bully’s sense of humor is right so she doesn’t think she’s harassing, abusing or bullying your kid.  Your kid is merely too sensitive. Your kid’s issues generally don't get dealt with.  The stealth bully’s concerns are more important so they can ignore your kid’s wishes.
4. They control your kid with their disapproval, name-calling, demeaning putdowns, blame and guilt.  No matter what your kid does; she’s wrong or not good enough.  Or they control your kid with their hyper-sensitive, hurt feelings and threats to cut off the friendship and be hurt and retaliate forever.  The bully will spread lies and rumors and ruin your kid’s reputation.
5. Your kid is afraid she'll trigger a violent rage or an everlasting vendetta at school.  She walks on eggshells.  The controlling bully intimidates her with words and weapons.  The stealth bully threatens her and her favorite things.  Your kid is told that she’s to blame if the stealth bully is angry.  Your kid feels emotionally blackmailed, intimidated and drained.  She’s afraid of the ongoing control and bullying at school.
6. Your kid’s told she’s ugly, poorly dressed, incompetent, and helpless and she wouldn’t have other friends without the stealth bully to guide her.
7. They isolate your kid.  She’s not allowed to see other friends or tell you what’s going on.

Post #353 – BulliesBeGoneBlog How to Stop School Bullying: Getting Information

How can stealth bullies cause more damage than overt bullies at school?

1. Because kids don’t recognize and label these manipulators as bullies, kids don’t resist them.
2. The manipulated kids take on the blame and feel guilty.  They think it’s their fault.  They must have done something wrong since the stealth bully is angry.
3. They try to please the stealth bully.  They try to be perfect according to the bully.
4. They lose a sense of themselves and they become helpless and powerless.
5. Later in life, they’ll easily fall under the spell of controlling, abusive spouses and bosses.  They’ll accept the abuse because they’ll think it’s their fault.

Since all tactics depend on the situation, expert coaching by phone or Skype helps.  Call me to design a plan that fits you and your kid's situation at school.  And build your will and skill to carry it out effectively.

Create a workplace with no harassment, abuse or bullying

Sometimes, we have trouble deciding what strategy to use to increase our chances of a culture with no harassment, abuse or bullying so great people want to work, produce and get ahead - a culture of high attitudes and outstanding productivity. We know we can’t stand pat but still we hesitate.  We don’t want to waste our time or take foolish risks and, in the real world, there’s no way of getting all our ducks in a row.  Learning by trial and error sounds too brainless and fraught with danger.

There is another alternative – “The Systematic Method of Successive Approximations”.

To read the rest of this article from the Denver Business Journal, see: Create a workplace with no harassment, abuse or bullying http://denver.bizjournals.com/denver/stories/2000/04/17/smallb4.html

Sounds formidable and daunting, but it’s not.  You may not have used the method yet to stop bullying at work, but you’ve already used and mastered it while learning the most difficult things you’ll ever learn - walking, running, talking, driving and even driving while listening to a motivational tape and eating and talking on your phone and obsessing on something life-threatening or totally useless, all at the same time while getting to your destination safely.

There is no “One-Right” action plan, but we all used the same basic 12-step strategy to learn to walk.  It will also work to stop bullying at work.

1. You knew what you wanted and needed.
2. Action counted.
3. There was no guarantee of success and you never even asked about one.
4. Pain didn’t stop you for long.
5. Fear didn’t stop you for long.
6. Ignorance didn’t stop you for long.
7. Embarrassment didn’t stop you; the opinions of negative, critical bullies didn’t stop you.
8. You imitated successful people and you “faked it” – you became an experimenter at work.
9. Questions or concerns about self-confidence, self-esteem and self-image didn’t matter.  You didn’t pay attention to self-doubt, self-bullying or negative internal voices.
10. You put yourself in favorable situations with your “antennae” out to increase your chances of success.  You ignored negativity, harassment and bullying.
11. Some people learned faster than others did but we all succeeded eventually.
12. The desired gains outweighed the necessary losses that always come with taking charge of your life.

Live life the way you learned how to walk.  It may seem difficult in your situation to bring all your desire, need, energy, focus, intelligence and experience to bear on making major changes but it’s the only way.  You’re not too young, too old, too dumb, too clumsy.  The world is not changing too rapidly.  Don’t listen to negativity and bullies.  Learn to walk or you’ll get stepped on.

Often, individuals need coaching and organizations need consulting to help them design and implement an anti-bullying plan that fits the situation at work.  To get the help you need, call Ben at 1-877-828-5543.

How to Stop Bullies at Work: Ten Tips to Recognize Them

“How can just one person create such deep wounds that it’s taken us five months to heal a workplace,” I was asked.  Many people have trouble admitting that someone can be the correct answer to, “How many negative, abusive, bullies does it take to destroy everyone’s productivity” or “How many rotten apples does it take to spoil a whole barrel” or “How many overlooked cancer cells does it take to start a fatal tumor?” To read the rest of this article from the Denver Business Journal, see: How to Stop Bullies at Work: Ten Tips to Recognize Them

http://denver.bizjournals.com/denver/stories/2000/05/15/smallb5.html

Notice that when you nod your head in recognition of the “bad apples” you’ve known, we’re both denying many people’s fundamental assumptions that everyone is good and reasonable underneath; we can rehabilitate everyone; we’re supposed to care enough to keep trying and not remove them from work until we’re absolutely, objectively certain that they’re relentless, permanent bullies and we should give up.

Instead, we’re accepting that bullying and bad attitudes will spread and destroy the whole workplace.

I’m talking about the few employees (and bosses) who haven’t learned by the time they’re adults and who won’t be rehabilitated in the time and effort your team or organization can afford at work.  The pain and harm caused by those “bad apples” is the price you pay for ignoring the early warning signs and giving them too much time and too many chances

Top ten early warning signs of bullying, “bad apples” are:

1. They’re utterly convinced that they’re absolutely right about anything they think is important; their opinions, attitudes, interpretations, excuses, justifications, agendas are right; they can do exactly what they want at work because they’re absolutely right; problems are never their fault.
2. They’re totally focused on themselves; clueless and uncaring about what most of us consider appropriate, professional behavior and how other people will feel in response to their bullying.
3. They leave bossy, demanding, abusive notes insisting that what they want gets done, with no consideration for the other person’s schedules or deadlines.  They think their notes are polite.
4. They’re also oblivious to how the other person reacted to what they said, what the other person wanted and why, what the other person thought of them. Or they're hypersensitive, over-reactive bullies.
5. They don’t acknowledge the pain they cause and they defend themselves and their favorites ferociously.
6. They’re perfectionists; always negative and complaining; seeing things in right-or-wrong; making “to-do” lists with over 300 items. They feel victimized and eagerly blame others or “the system” at work.
7. They obsessively track or blow up little things, lose sight of what’s important; ignore what everyone else is upset about.
8. To flatter themselves, they only get the part of a message they agree with. Or in order to feel righteously indignant, they hear only the part of a message that will infuriate them.
9. They kiss up to those above and step on those below them.
10. They’re skilled at harassing, abusing and isolating people at work, organizing cliques to make war on their enemies, or finding scapegoats to direct the attention away from them.

They’re the 10% of the people you waste 90% of your time on.  If you think you’re the only one having these problems with them, check around and you’ll find that almost everyone else at work is also.  They spread their bullying around.

The problem is chronic; they don’t get it, they don’t change.  You’ll know you were right to remove them when everyone starts breathing deeply, smiling and walking uprightly again.  Act swiftly to protect yourself and the rest of your workplace.

Often, individuals need coaching and organizations need consulting to help them design and implement an anti-bullying plan that fits the situation at work.  To get the help you need, call Ben at 1-877-828-5543.