Nice guys rarely come out on top in the boss stakes. Cold, calculating, bullying tyrants often do though.
A recent study presented at a conference on management, found that two thirds of the 240 people interviewed claimed that the office bully in their lives was never censured. On the contrary, he or she was often promoted.
Bully bosses have been known to make their employees sick - literally. Depression, anxiety attacks and other stress related conditions are fairly common in offices where a tyrant reigns supreme. Those who appointed him or her often tolerate this state-of-affairs. They view the bully as assertive and goal oriented. Employees who complain tend to be viewed as 'the problem'
Psychologists concur that a lot of bully boss behavior is acting out - a display of power because they can. A typical example of this type of behavior is the strategy of asking an employee to present a plan at a meeting, and then proceeding to rip the employee's ideas to shreds in front of everyone.
Typical characteristics of the bully boss are hyper control tactics, a tendency to micromanage and routine contempt displayed toward employees in the form of snide remarks, sarcasm and outright put downs. Some psychologists also link this behavior to sadistic inclinations. Some men get off on intimidation and control tactics in their personal relationships. The same inclinations are likely to play themselves out in the office. Certainly there are plenty of stories that suggest that abuse of power can lead to sexual exploitation.
So how to fight back against bullying in the office?
It's important not to enable a bully boss by appearing to be cowered. Direct confrontation can be very effective as long as you remain in control of your emotions. Come across as firm and assertive, along the lines of - "I'm sorry but I will not tolerate this kind of behavior". It may sound simple, but actually the direct in-your-face approach is often the most effective. Any confrontation of this sort should be private. If there are other staffers witnessing the confrontation the bully is unlikely to back down.
Don't get too involved in discussing theories about why the behavior is happening or start speculating about motives. Keep it simple. In other words focus on an example of behavior you regard as unacceptable and drive the point home.You might also give an example of how the behavior has impacted negatively upon the productivity of other employees.
Try to introduce some positives into your observations. Point out traits of the boss that have impacted positively on office morale. Also try to get a few other staffers on-side, so that it's apparent you have allies and aren't putting yourself out on a limb.
If the company has the option, you can always take your complaint to human resources. There is also the option of going over the head of the bully boss and speaking directly to his or her superior, but this should be a last resort. You can't be certain what type of relationship exists between people in upper management. Reporting 'up' might backfire and end up making you the target.
Most importantly stay cool and never appear intimidated. Bullies feed off fear and when they realize they can't get to you on that level, they are less likely to persist.
