3 Workplace Bullies (and How to Stand Up to Them)

3 Workplace Bullies (and How to Stand Up to Them)3 Workplace Bullies (and How to Stand Up to Them)Id like to tell you that bullying is an exclusively adolescent problem, to assure you that youll never again find yourself rushing to the ladies room, hoping you can hold back the tears (or the profanity) until youre safely behind a stall door. And while you probably wont wind up trapped in a locker, listening to your own breathing as you silently compare your current enclosure to a coffin, its entirely possible that youll face another bully in your lifetime the Workplace Bully.Like the high school bullies of days past, adult bullies use intimidation, public humiliation, and underhanded insults to manipulate those around them. But unlike high school, you dont have to put up with them for the sake of looking cool. Now that youre an adult, identifying malicious behavior and responding to it professionally will not only deter the perpetrator, but will show your colleagues (and higher-ups) t hat youre the mature woman you wished you could be as a teen.To thrive in your office, identify behauptung three Workplace Bullies and learn how to respond to their assaults.1.The Email BullyThis bully transforms a civil exchange of emails into a public brawl. One moment youre professionally sharing your opinion on a project. And the next thing you know, the bully has ccd half your office, bccd who knows how many others, and is chastising you (virtually) in front of your peers- in a drastically different tone than the open-minded one she used in your face-to-face meeting last week.The SolutionDont respond via email. Wait an hour or two and walk to the bullys desk (if geography doesnt allow this, call her). Chances are, like many bullies, this one is less likely to use inflammatory language when you confront her face-to-face. Explain that youre not sure how to interpret the email, and ask if you could step into a conference room and chat. Youll be surprised at just how quickly her to ne changes from revengeful to reasonable.2. The Social Media BullyThis bully uses Facebook like a weapon, posting passive-aggressive status updates about certain people at work, fully aware that said people are her Facebook friends. The thinly veiled remarks are clearly directed at specific colleagues, but, given her choice of medium, theres nothing you can do about it- even if the bully posts mid-meeting about your self-serving PowerPoints or comments that some people are so full of themselves moments after your boss praises you in the company newsletter.The SolutionTheres an old saying Never interfere with an enemy while hes in the process of destroying himself. This is exactly what your bully is doing marking herself with a big red flag. We may live in a world fully inundated with social media, but all truly professional organizations (and people) understand that this is not the mature way of acting in the workplace. So just ignore it. If your bully keeps it up, you wont be worry ing about her for long.3.The Good Old-Fashioned MeanieThese bullies never learn. They use outright, in-your-face threats, they raise their voices to a level thats far beyond passionate, and they turn arguments into personal character assassinations. They may bring up your private life, write you insulting emails with foul language, or gossip about you with your co-workers. And unlike the previous two bully-types, who can be talked down from their high horses, this one just wont budge.The SolutionGo to your manager, her manager, or HR. Situations like these are best handled by the professionals. If someones behavior is repeatedly out of line, dont waste your time and energy combatting it on your own. Yes, youre an adult now, but its okay to tattle when a co-worker is clearly incapable of behaving like a grown-up.Finally, regardless of the type of bully youre dealing with, there are several important high school lessons that should stay with you Take the high road. Two wrongs dont mak e a right. Be the bigger person. After all, the only thing worse than a bully is a bully-convert. So act your age, behave professionally- and let your bully lie in the bed shes made. Rest assured you wont be the only one to notice her childish behavior.Photo courtesy of Schipulites.