Mobbing at work: causes, consequences and ways to combat it

Definition and classification

The term “mobbing” comes from the word “mob”, which means “crowd” in English. Layman defined mobbing as the attitude of people or one person towards a specific individual, manifested by repeated hostile attacks.

There are certain types of mobbing. Depending on the direction they are distinguished:

horizontal – harassment occurs from peers;
vertical - oppression occurs on the part of the leader.

Depending on the manifestations there are:

latent - pressure on an employee is applied in a hidden way, manifested by isolation from other colleagues;
open - bullying occurs in front of everyone, the “victim” is openly mocked, humiliated and insulted.

Stages of development

Isolation is the stage of development of mobbing

The emergence of prerequisites. For example, the result of a recent conflict between colleagues. Causes a deterioration in the climate in the team. Disagreements can be either professional in nature or based on personal hostility.
Search for a victim. This role often falls on a newcomer, against whom aggressive actions are directed.
Active stage. The victim is constantly subject to ridicule, mockery, and is constantly criticized. The target of bullying begins to experience depression, feels depressed, and his health may deteriorate.
Insulation. The stage when the individual is no longer perceived as an employee, he is not invited anywhere, and they do not want to communicate with him. The victim feels empty, the desire to work disappears, and his health, both physical and emotional, deteriorates.
Dismissal. The stage at which the victim realizes that he cannot exist in such a team and decides to leave work.

Why does it occur

Competition is a possible reason for the development of mobbing

Let's look at what reasons may influence the development of mobbing in a team.

Envy. Some colleagues may want to ruin the life of another because he is more successful and is moving better up the career ladder. For example, a situation when a new employee appears in the team, who is a beautiful and young girl, and also has good professional skills. If the organization predominantly employs older women, and even those who have problems in their personal lives, they will probably have a negative attitude towards the new girl.
Competition. A situation where a person works hard to get a position, and then someone else is put in that position.
Dissatisfaction. It may concern salary, position, or life in general. And then, with the help of mobbing, people rise at the expense of others and feel their superiority.
Conflict. There is a desire to take revenge on someone, especially if one’s self-esteem has been damaged.
Sadistic tendencies. An aggressor can choose a new victim because he gets pleasure from causing harm to someone.
Fear. With the arrival of new management, people may experience great fear of possible changes.
Authority. The new bosses may resort to terrorizing their employees, believing that they would rather be feared than respected.
Boredom. When people have monotonous work, they become bored and try to diversify their everyday days, and then they begin to mock and terrorize someone.

Manifestations of mobbing

Certain signs indicate that bullying by colleagues is taking place:

denunciation;
nagging;
boycott;
deliberate isolation;
accusations;
spreading false rumors;
damage to things;
harm to health, can be manifested by placing buttons on a chair or pouring a laxative into a drink;
causing physical harm.

Possible consequences

The development of severe depression is a possible consequence of mobbing.
A person who has experienced bullying may develop:

lack of self-confidence, including professional skills;
decreased self-esteem;
development of phobias;
formation of a depressive state;
decreased performance;
An aggressive mood may develop towards people and even relatives.

76% of people who are the target of mobbing suffer from severe stress, as well as its consequences, nightmares, insomnia, headaches, feelings of shame and guilt.

Block 1. Mobbing. What it is?

1.1. Definition.

Mobbing is an intra-organizational, deliberate, regular, attacking action on the part of a person or group (mobbers) towards a specific subject or group (TARGET) in the form of depreciation, provocation, manipulation, humiliation with the aim of causing mental and reputational damage, as well as forcing them to leave. organization.
Mobbing is usually considered as an internal corporate phenomenon and is the subject of study of conflictology and managerial psychology. However, there is no reason not to consider this phenomenon more broadly, given the history of the emergence of this definition. Initially, Konrad Lorenz (biologist, ethologist) in the middle of the last century introduced this concept into use in relation to animal behavior. Then Heinz Lehmann in the 90s began to use this term to describe the phenomenon of “psychological terror” from the social life of people.

1.2. A story from life.

My client’s son, Andrey (name changed), who is 8 years old, was in a children’s camp in July of this year. Moreover, the camp is very expensive and unaffordable for people with low incomes. Accordingly, the children in it are from wealthy and prosperous families.

On the second day of his stay in the camp, one of the boys of the detachment - Sergei (name changed), 9 years old, comes up to Andrei in private and says to him, looking into his eyes:

- I want to fuck you!

Andrey runs away from Sergei in a state of shock. This phrase had the effect of an “exploding bullet” in the mind of an 8-year-old child from an intelligent family. These are terrible words for a boy in such a context.

After this, Andrey avoids Sergei throughout the day, experiences stress, and does not enter into confrontation in sports competitions. In the evening he informs his parents about what happened. Andrei’s father explained to his son as best he could that this was stupidity that should not be taken to heart, most likely this was Sergei’s reaction to some movie +18.

But the matter didn't end there! The next day, Sergei repeated his act in the presence of other guys, approached Andrei and told him:

- I want to fuck you!

Andrei again experienced stress, and in turn sent Sergei to hell, but this did not make the child feel any better. There was a public insult. Andrey became a TARGET yesterday! And this is such a form of mental terrorism!

In the evening, Andrei’s father was in the camp and discussed the situation with the counselor, who turned out to be a “man from the mountains” and a Muslim. For the counselor, this situation seemed unacceptable; his point of intolerance was lower than that of Andrei’s father. This is probably why Sergei left the camp forever!

1.3. Forms of mobbing.

1. Direct insults, both in a one-on-one context and in public under the influence of anger.

2. Indirect insults (laughs, jokes).

3. Unfounded and unconstructive criticism. The most acutely experienced form of attacks that attack the professional knowledge and skills of the TARGET is in public.

4. Social isolation. The TARGET is informally, and in some cases formally, deprived of the right to participate in collective activities. They avoid communicating with the TARGET, avert their eyes, walk away so as not to be present nearby.

5. Spreading defamatory rumors that are not true, or scaling negative events like “making a molehill out of a molehill.” Gossip can be engineered out of thin air by a mobber.

6. Overload with responsibility and affairs of the TARGET, so that “life does not seem like paradise.”

7. Constant negative reinforcement of the TARGET, regardless of the quality of the work and what was said, which manifests itself both non-verbally (facial expressions, pantomimes - demonstration of boredom, contempt, disgust) and verbally (devaluation).

8. Denunciations of the TARGET to higher management.

9. Causing material damage to the TARGET (theft of personal belongings, damage to the workplace, erasure of important files, damage to tools, etc.)

10. Damage to health (poisoning, water damage, spills of toxic chemicals, construction work with large amounts of dust and dirt, physical violence, sexual violence).

How to fight

Dialogue with a colleague is a possible way to get rid of mobbing

Before you give up or decide to quit, you need to try to change the situation and find different ways to fight.

Analyze what happened, why you were chosen to be the victim. A person can change his place of work, but where is the guarantee that the situation will not repeat in the new team?
Increased self-confidence. You must prove to everyone that you can and deserve to work where you are now. Stop paying attention to your colleagues’ barbs and do your job.
Control the situation, don’t relax, make a minimum of mistakes, pay special attention to every action and word of other employees directed in your direction. If someone unexpectedly changes their attitude towards you or is overly kind, be on your guard, most likely this is a trap. Don't let them wipe your feet on you.
Don't be afraid to tell your colleagues what doesn't suit you. Prolonged silence can lead to the conclusion that you are an excellent whipping pillow.
Try to start a dialogue with your colleagues. Talk to them frankly. It is possible that it will be possible to improve relations peacefully. Listen more than you talk.
Showing toughness. When a new person appears in the team, his strength can be tested. Therefore, you need to avoid being bullied and immediately put people in their place.
Change of job. In a situation where nothing changes and mobbing continues, this is the best option. Don't be afraid of the changes that come with a new job. Remember that psychological health is much more important than material wealth.

How to fight a predator in a team

It seems that you work in a rather large company and perform your functions impeccably. But there is a colleague, if you can call him that, who every now and then tries to prick you, humiliate you, expose you to ridicule and say insulting words at every opportunity. What does he want from you, why does he have such an attitude towards you? Why did he decide that he could make you a “punching bag?” This issue will persist until it is resolved. But if you believe that only your personality annoys someone, then you are deeply mistaken. Bullying, that is, psychological violence in the workplace, is a very common thing. Let's consider what it is, what are the roots of the problem, what needs to be done so that the offender closes his mouth once and for all and never again dares not only to say, but even to look badly in your direction.

Adviсe

How to protect yourself from aggression at work

Psychologists insist that one cannot respond with silence to insults and humiliation. If you give in, the aggressor’s attack will continue with renewed vigor, and he will no longer keep himself within any limits. Therefore, follow these guidelines.

Listen to your body's signals. If you feel discomfort around an employee, you feel like you are inferior because of his ridicule - this is a natural aggressor trying to suppress your dignity.
Stop berating yourself. You should not assume that aggression from others is entirely your fault and look for flaws in yourself. All the pest seeks is to control you and your behavior, to “crush” you.
Don’t even dare listen to insults and humiliation until the end. As soon as they start shouting at you or saying nasty words, stop the person. We are not talking about assault or other physical force. Just say “Enough!”, “I’m tired of it!”, “Don’t you dare yell at me anymore!”, “Can you explain it properly?”, “Repeat the same thing, but clearly and calmly!” etc.
Don't keep negativity to yourself. Having heard a lot of unpleasant words and unkind attitudes addressed to you at work, share your feelings with someone you trust. This could be a spouse, a relative; a consultation with a psychotherapist would not hurt. By the way, a specialist is simply necessary for those who are unable to overcome bullying at work.
There is no point in bringing or explaining anything, just as there are no prospects when trying to change the character of the aggressor. Believe me, a person can only be changed in his infancy, and once he has crossed adolescence, it is useless to fight his shortcomings. The best thing you can do is to begin to respect yourself and give concrete rebuff to the offender. You need to behave in such a way that no one dares to behave disrespectfully towards you. As soon as attempts arise, cut them off in the bud, ask a clear and tough question: “What do you need from me?”, “Who gave you the right to shout at me?”, “Who gave you the right to insult and humiliate my dignity?”, “Why?” “Did you think that you are allowed to talk to people in that tone?” etc. The main thing is to always remain an intelligent person and not allow yourself to go to extremes and abuse. Thus, you will only stoop to the level of a brawler and play into his hands.
Don't play, just be yourself. Don't try to make only a positive impression, let them see you for who or what you really are. Future employees need to know your natural “face.” Moreover, the desire to look better works against your own nature. Why hide your natural character traits if they do not cause problems for anyone. And if this is the case, it is better to fight them rather than hide them.
Before a new meeting occurs, set yourself up for the positive. If you can’t relieve stress, remember something good, try mentally meditating or say a prayer. No one has yet been able to cancel her power. This will make it easier to find a common language with future colleagues.
Watch your appearance. Perhaps the negative attitude towards you is the result of your own wrong actions. For example, you dress too provocatively, brightly, or maybe even vulgarly. You shouldn’t turn your workplace into a nightclub, where everything is available - long slits, miniskirts and revealing cleavage. Keep your clothes in a business style that will not interfere with your work, not only for you, but also for those around you.

Having achieved their goal, opponents can force you to write a statement of your own free will. But don't rush into an important decision. Be that as it may, if you are a good specialist, there will always be work. Agree with your boss and start looking for a worthwhile job, try to agree on dismissal by agreement of the parties in order to receive severance pay. Perhaps the job is to your heart’s content and there are branches where you can get a job by transfer, without breaking your employment contract. Or, before you leave, take the required vacation, spend it to benefit your own health and calm your nerves.

I recommend reading: Workaholism.

Precautionary measures

Company managers must understand that the occurrence of mobbing in their team can affect a decrease in work efficiency. Therefore, managers must ensure that they do everything to prevent the development of mobbing in their company.

It is necessary to create an organizational culture.
It is necessary to monitor the possibility of career growth for each employee.
It is important to ensure a healthy climate in the team.
It is necessary to create feedback with employees.
Each employee must have clearly defined duties and boundaries of personal responsibility.
Clearly distribute labor between departments in the company.
Avoid romantic relationships between a manager and a subordinate.
Be intolerant of people who spread gossip and discourage intrigue.

Now you know how to resist mobbing in a team. As you can see, such an attitude from colleagues is unacceptable for the normal life of a person who is constantly oppressed and trying to survive. He is in a state of stress and cannot live or work normally. When joining a new team, remember the methods that help counter the development of mobbing.

Five reasons for mobbing

There are several most common reasons for mobbing and its variants.

Banal envy and fear that you will cross someone's path - that's why successful professionals are quite often ostracized.
Sometimes the trigger is a quarrel between people , which, reaching its peak, leads to harassment in the workplace.
Another option is that the boss and his subordinate at one time already had a relationship that went beyond the official one: for example, friendship or love. But then they were interrupted. However, both parties have to work together, and in some cases the boss will try to get rid of the person with whom he had something in common.
Most often, office wars are provoked by an unhealthy atmosphere in the company - constant staff turnover, a strict system of fines and control, and distrust of each other. In such a team there is tension hidden for the time being, which sooner or later will require release. And then anyone can become a scapegoat.
The personality of the leader plays a big role in whether there is a tendency toward a “witch hunt” in an organization . There are bosses who love to manipulate people and pit them against each other. Collective bullying of an employee occurs with their tacit approval, or even at their suggestion, when they want to get rid of an objectionable person through the wrong hands. Sometimes managers underestimate the seriousness of the current situation, tolerate such antics of their subordinates and do not take any measures against the instigators of bullying, leaving them with a feeling of impunity. But the boss, like no one else, is responsible for the positive psychological climate in the team and the resolution of industrial conflicts.

Daria Stasevich, psychologist

For some newcomers, this is a kind of tradition of joining a team. When you go through this stage, everything will most likely work out. You can look at the reasons for putting pressure on yourself from the other side. Perhaps similar situations have already occurred in your life. Then you need to figure out what in your behavior can provoke others to such an attitude. For example, you are used to playing the role of a victim and do not know how to stand up for yourself. Or you are too different from your colleagues - in behavior, appearance - and they do not understand or accept you. Among other reasons - you, out of ignorance or deliberately, ignore the established “rules of the game” and do not share the values of the group; you came to the company through connections; They want to put “their” person in your place.