This week is the start of Anti Bullying Week: a commendable national event organised by the Anti Bullying Alliance, a registered Children's charity. Today starts with Odd Socks Day, when youngsters are encouraged to do exactly that, thereby demonstrating that individualism and difference is something to be celebrated, not something to be vilified over. There is a campaign of events and even an anthem-a reworked version of the original Sham 69 hit "If The Kids Are United."
However, if anyone imagines that bullying stops when school leaving age is reached they are wrong. Bullying in the Workplace is rife. It is rarely physical and is often clandestine. It is secretive because the perpetrators are (rightly!) deep down ashamed of their actions. But in a mirroring of the school situation, Work Bullies hear the cries of encouragement from others and so they ignore the pain of the bullied. Their suffering only spurs them on to greater, wider atrocities.
Alas, when school days are over In our country, Public and Private sector employers are encouraged by the State to embrace a climate of blame and to support a culture of hate. A toxic environment is created where "Management" means the expectation of getting better results out of a workforce by intimidation, discrimination and establishing division. A false hope and a redundant philosophy which only undermines productivity and effectiveness.
It is a known fact that all that these divisive methods will actually "improve" is stress levels, absenteeism and depression. Employees subject to this treatment will not succeed. They cannot. Their self esteem will be destroyed and their self confidence will be eroded by months-years-of negative criticism. And that, really, is the objective. Much of this antisocial and condoned behaviour is excused by "appraisal"- in itself not a bad tool, but too often one fuelled not by a desire to improve results but simply to save money.
The most common form of this is in a profession where salary scales are capped. Rank and file employees rise chronologically to the top of a scale via "progression" -and stay there. The temptation by many managers then is not to assist the talented and the able who are trapped at the head of this logpile, but to pick on them and criticise them. This continues so that they stagnate. Younger more gullible (and most essentially, cheaper) replacements can be drafted in from an external source, when the victims finally crumble.
The failure of executives remains temporarily concealed as department budgets are shored up. Temporary because when Workplace bullies are finally exposed their illegal and cruel barbarism becomes all too evident. They have clung on to power only by bullying. They often have no other talent. Bullies are often inadequate professionals themselves. Rather than achieving "improvement via praise, support and motivation, they coerce others into assisting in their dirty work.
I have lived with bullying all my life. I was bullied at school until I stood up to the perpetrators and exposed them. At work I was deliberately held back professionally until I acted against injustice and exclusion and helped in publicly outing those responsible. I have had to represent colleagues in tribunals and during grievance procedures, often facing trumped up charges where their isolation and decaying self belief has been exploited by the ruthless. All those close to me have been bullied at work. Practically all my family have been subjected to it, and in many instances, family members have had to move placements to get away from it.
The enemy of bullying is Truth. Bullies become frightened of it and will use any means possible to try to stifle it. The only resistance to them is speaking out. A popular anti bullying strapline became "Don't Suffer in Silence." It is still the best one I know. Resisting and speaking out is scary and collateral damage is often suffered along the way. But outing them and drawing together collectively to oppose their foul practices remains the best way of defeating the bully.
Bullies are by definition, stupid. They cannot see that their actions are harmful not only to their victims, but ultimately to themselves. Eventually, it will be they, the perpetrators and not the victim who in a dreadful irony becomes the object of ridicule and derision. Unfortunately by then, too many others will have had their lives and careers ruined by deluded, meglomania. It is tempting perhaps to pity the bully once exposed for the pathetic creatures that they are. But wrong. There is an old Viking saying "May The Sword Spare No-one." Well....quite.
