What kind of person is most likely to be the office bully?
A. The skittish little guy in research who has never been seen at an office function. B. The independent self-starter who keeps the nose to the grindstone, not in co-workers’ business, and gets the job done. C. The corporate glad-hander who always says just what the higher-ups with the corner offices want to hear – at least to their faces – and gets invited to all the important meetings. Answer: Is anyone surprised to learn that C is the right answer? Workplace bullies tend to be very charming to their bosses and to everybody but their target, says Gary Namie, co-director of the Workplace Bullying and Trauma Institute, and know how to weasel their way through the office power structure. That’s important since workplace bullying tends to be a subtle campaign. Q: What’s the end result of most office bullying? A. The target leaves the job rather than continue to be tormented. B. The bully is found out, publicly reprimanded and forced to attend all sensitivity training classes offered unti
