Warfare at the workplace

A meeting where superiors systematically rip apart your work, your mannerisms, your attitude. A boss who belittles you in front of juniors and sets unattainable deadlines.

A co-worker takes the credit for your hours of slog. Does any of this sound familiar? It probably does "" and you've probably shrugged it off as just one of those bad things that happen to good people. Or perhaps you've even blamed yourself.

But it's not your fault. What you experienced was bullying, declare Helen Richards and Sheila Freeman in Bullying in the Workplace: An Occupational Hazard. Bullies aren't confined to schoolyards, picking on the weak after the lunch bell rings.

Nor is bullying a privilege reserved for the military, the theme of a dozen Hollywood blockbusters. Bullies exist "" even flourish "" in the white-collar world as well, which rewards the aggressive and disdains the meek.

Bullying is Richards and Freeman's second book together "" in 1999 the two co-authored Money Management for Women. The Australian influence is apparent throughout the book and even the appendix at the back "" which lists help lines and call centres, and laws relevant to workplace violence and harassment "" is centred around Australia.

But the case studies that form the heart of the book will find echoes across the globe. Psychological bullying is, unfortunately, all too common even in professional settings. And it can take as many forms as there are workplaces: unfair rostering of shift workers, consistent misuse of delegatory powers, intimidation, constant criticism, unjustified punishment....

Face it, most of us spend more time at work than we do at home. If that time has to be endured, rather than enjoyed, warn the authors, you're setting yourself up for trouble. A hostile work environment is bad for your career, bad for your health, bad for your morale and bad for your marriage.

Of course, there's a statutory warning applicable here: bullying in the workplace is a situation awash in grey. It's not a unidimensional, I'm-innocent-she's-guilty circumstance. Individual perceptions are integral to all interpersonal relationships, and what seems like bullying to you may just be your superior/co-worker's way of getting results.

"Only behaviour that is systematic, ongoing and deliberately hurtful should be regarded as bullying," state the authors. That definition, then, includes physical abuse as well as the more subtle, insidious harassment. And despite all the flag-waving about political correctness, a person's age, gender, ethnicity and sexual persuasion still provide ready ammunition in power games.

Bullying is a text of causes, cases and cures, masquerading as a victim impact statement. Case study after case study examines why intimidation happens; what is the profile of a bully (like serial killers, often the most harmless-looking individuals turn out to be the most cruel); survival strategies and the avenues for conflict resolution; and why it's critical that bullying be stopped as definitively and quickly as possible.

So, what can a victim do? The first step is to stop being a victim "" stop moaning. After that, there are really only two choices: resign, or complain. Of course, the latter is really rather difficult to do: psychological bullying leaves no visible scars, so it's difficult to prove. But, advise the authors, arm yourself with documentary proofs: memos, diary notes, hard copies of email, Post-it notes... anything, really, that can help nail the bully.

Or, if you subscribe to the school of thought that says living well is the best revenge, you could buy a copy of Career Warfare. It's funny, it's full of cut-the-crap kind of advice, and it is testimony to a truth universally acknowledged "" hard work will get you only so far. What will really make you stand out in the crowd are the little details: how you interact with colleagues, how you prop up the boss's image and how well "" or badly "" you play golf.

David D'Alessandro is the chairman and CEO of John Hancock Financial Services and was the driving force behind John Hancock's appearance on The New York Times list of the top 100 brands of the 20th century. So he's probably qualified to proffer advice. But a lot of his recommendations are obvious "" dress well, know your dessert fork from your pickle fork and don't drink at company-dos.

There's a reason for that, he goes on to explain. If you want to get ahead in your career, it's not the number of initials after your name that will eventually matter: you need to be able to convince people to trust you with new opportunities. Your "personal brand" should constantly get noticed "" but only for the right reasons. Don't be like the account executive who washed her face with a pancake "" not a good idea when you're trying to impress people.

D'Alessandro is witty, incisive, blunt "" and completely self-absorbed. Most of the incidents he draws on are based on his 30 years' experience in the cut-throat world of corporate America "" and most of them show him as the hero who always knew the right path, who instinctively pressed the right key. And we could have done without the blatant political agenda. D'Alessandro is a card-carrying Democrat, but this book should not have been the forum for airing his grievances against the Republicans.

Ironically, the biggest lesson in Career Warfare is to be careful of excessive self-absorption: it won't help you build a great personal brand.

Instead, turn it into a desire for respect "" recognise the value of approval, both from yourself and from other people. To do that, you need to constantly see yourself as others see you "" they'll judge you by your actions, not your intentions. Remember, the road to hell is paved with good intentions.

And some things are not negotiable. If you want to get ahead, make sure your reputation shrieks five qualities: you earn the organisation money; you tell the truth; you are discreet; you keep your promises; and people want to work for, and with, you. If you're missing even one of these, you'll definitely miss out on the corner office.

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Bullying in the workplace

Helen Richards and Sheila Freeman
Leads Press
Price Rs 225; Pages: 274

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Career Warfare

David F D'Alessandro
Tata McGraw-Hill
Price: Rs 195
Pages: 216