Chapter 7

The Bully

The Problem

Your colleague is a bully. When you’re speaking in meetings, he doodles, sends e-mails, whispers to colleagues—to the point of distracting others, and sometimes even you, from what you’re trying to say. He’s also blown up at you in front of others for petty reasons. You dread interacting with him and find yourself constantly waiting for his next attack. You can’t just brush it off, and it’s ruining your focus at work. The specifics may sound silly to someone who’s not experiencing this, but to you it feels like psychological harassment.

Why It Happens

Bullying in the workplace is not much different from what happens on the playground. Bullies of all ages want to manipulate the political and social power in their ...

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