The Wrong Stuff

I eventually left Tim's show and went to work elsewhere. But like so many of his ilk, Tim rose and rose. His meteoric career showed me that however much management may say "our people are our greatest asset" they don't mean it enough to get rid of people like this. If David Yamada has his way, one day they may have to. But before he can succeed, we all need to start identifying bullies for what they are -- not tough leaders but abusers of the highest ideals of work.

What to do if you are being bullied

• Recognize what is happening.
• Tell someone so you can hear yourself describe what is happening to you -- and so you can get some visibility onto the bad behavior. And keep a journal: write down everything that happens so you know you aren't losing your mind and you have the facts when you need them.
• Try to figure out whether you are in a toxic culture or just working for a toxic boss Good cultures squeeze out bullies; you may be able to outlast yours. But toxic cultures will destroy you. Leave while you still can. If you don't reject bullying, you start believing you aren't worthy of better treatment.
• Keep a copy of any bullying emails, notes, and letters.
• Tell friends and family so you get support.

Additional Resources

• Bully OnLine
• The Workplace Bullying & Trauma Institute
• Bullying in the Workplace

Margaret Heffernan is former CEO of ZineZone Corp. and iCAST Corp. Additional information about Heffernan -- as well as additional Culture Club columns -- are available in Online Insights.