FIRST RUN FRIDAYS Bullying in the Workplace

“Knowing what's right doesn't mean much unless you do what's right.” -Theodore Roosevelt

Bullying in the workplace has become a common practice over the past ten years.  Bullying takes many forms. If you feel as if you are being bullied, there is a good possibility that your instincts are correct. According to the Workplace Bullying Institute, a 2017 survey found that 19% of Americans have suffered abusive conduct at work; another 19% have witnessed it; 63% are aware that workplace bullying happens.

So what is bullying at work?  Workplace Bullying is repeated, health-harming mistreatment of one or more persons (the targets) by one or more perpetrators. It is abusive conduct that is :

• Threatening, humiliating, or intimidating, or
• Work interference — sabotage — which prevents work from getting done, or
• Verbal abuse  -The Bullying Institute

Bullying is responsible for increased absenteeism, a lack of workplace motivation and employee satisfaction, increased turnover, and a lack of trust and team building among workers. Additionally, bullying can cause serious damage to an employee's self-esteem and his ability to contribute at work. It can also be responsible for employee depression, physical illness, and severe trauma.

Workplace bullies often target employees who are high performers and liked by upper management.  Bullies feel threatened by these employees and want to elevate themselves by putting others down. Bullies tend to see these employees as competition and will do things to that employee to raise their own status.

Participants in this workshop will:

• Learn what bullying is and looks like in the workplace
• Understand why bullying happens
• Create strategies for preventing bullying in the workplace

First Run Fridays, is a series of four workshops that covers a variety of current challenges related to leadership in any setting. First Run Fridays also serves as a ‘pilot test’ of the new workshop topics to help determine if they should be added to the Leadership Center’s signature workshop rotation in the future. These four workshops scheduled beginning in September 2019.