Bullying in the workplace thrive in overly bureaucratic, highly competitive and rapidly changing organizations. An important role in this fact is played by weak leaders who are unable to face bullying among their people and therefore support it indirectly. How to prevent it? Strong leaders who will work to create a culture that does not tolerate bullying are needed. Four specific tips on how to prevent the development of bullying in your workplace were described by Entrepreneur.com.
Emphasize acceptable behavior
Bet on prevention. Define the positive behavior you want in your team and act as an example.
Teach conflict resolution skills
If you notice that one of your employees cannot effectively resolve conflicts, communicate with him/her and offer help. Require also potential new members of the team to know how to resolve conflicts.
Define roles and responsibilities
Frequent changes destabilize and reduce employee productivity. To reduce stress among your people, make sure everyone was informed of how the changes will exactly affect his/her role and what new responsibilities he/she has.
Show interest for feedback
Victims of bullying are usually quiet because they do not know how the employer will respond. Your task is to clearly show that you are open to discussion of any problems before they develop too much.
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