How to deal with mobbing - expert advice on what to do and how to resist bullying at work. Mobbing - what is it? Reasons for mobbing, its essence and ways to resist How to get rid of bullying at work

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Mobbing is one of the types of targeted psychological violence, bullying, persecution, the motive for which is the expulsion of a person. It is carried out by a group against one (team against an employee, classmates against a student, students against a teacher, directors against subordinates, etc.). Mobbing in a team can manifest itself in the form of frequent nagging or mocking remarks, boycott or misinformation. This may also include harm to health, damage to personal property or theft, and denunciations. An important point for classifying such actions as mobbing is their duration. Targeted bullying continues for several weeks, and sometimes even months, has regular manifestations, and over time, an increasing number of participants.

Psychological pressure and terror can occur in the aggressive behavior of a boss or colleagues (the second name for this process). Not all researchers highlight the third category - institutional mobbing, when moral pressure and persecution, psychological pressure is carried out with the help of inspections, re-certifications and other inspection structures. Cyber ​​mobbing is highlighted separately, which is carried out not through direct interaction, but using Internet resources. For the purpose of tyranny of a person, offensive letters can be sent, photos and videos of humiliating content can be posted.

What is mobbing

Mobbing in a team is a form of indirect dismissal of an employee, bringing a person to dismissal through rumors, intimidation, verbal humiliation or isolation from the team. All actions of aggressors cannot be regarded as clearly illegal; their constant impact can harm the mental and somatic state of the victim. Dismissal occurs as a result of deep depression, when the mental resources of the individual are completely exhausted by an unequal struggle and the only way out of a violent situation is leaving.

Examples of mobbing may resemble bullying, however, these concepts, despite the similarity, have one key difference - during mobbing, the leadership actively participates in the process of terror, is its organizer, or ignores it, despite being aware of the issue. When bullying occurs at an equal level, without the involvement of superiors, the relationship is more often clarified in interpersonal interaction or with the involvement of a minimum number of people.

The victim of mobbing cannot receive help, protection or even support, since management is, if not explicitly, then tacitly involved in the process of bullying. The most open and blatant mobbing can manifest itself in damage to an employee’s property, the movement and theft of his belongings, verbal insults, provision of false information in advance, tarnishing his reputation, and other issues.

Mobbing can take place in a latent form, when instead of active attacks, tactics of non-interference and isolation are used - as a result, the person feels unable to work. For example, when important information is hidden from a person or not communicated on time (for example, that a business trip is planned this evening or a meeting has already begun). Also, latent bullying can manifest itself in minimizing communication, which is different from a boycott, in which a person is clearly not spoken to and has some purpose. When communication is limited, the appearance of interaction is maintained, while all conversations are brief, to the point, there are no questions about health, in the presence of obvious signs of illness (high blood pressure, loss of orientation). On the part of management, it manifests itself in the absence of a decent assessment of work, assignment of impossible tasks, ignoring initiative and other points that not only impede promotion, but can provoke a reduction or dismissal.

The consequences of mobbing are extremely destructive, and many scientists consider it along with rape, murder and intimidation. A large percentage of suicides are carried out as a result of psychological trauma inflicted during the process of mobbing, and many cases of unreasonable aggressive behavior have been registered from those individuals who have been subjected to psychological violence.

The victim of mobbing, depending on the initial stability of the psyche and the duration of the impact, can receive a whole range of disorders. In the mildest cases, disturbances in the mnestic sphere are observed, attention suffers, and insomnia or nightmares are possible. With a serious degree of exhaustion, the consequences can take the form of deep clinical, panic states, the development of psychopathologies and heart attacks. Psychosomatics is activated, the main goal of which is maximum absence from the workplace in order to avoid violence.

Usually, in a team where mobbing is practiced, the victim is made guilty and unworthy. But it’s not just the victim who suffers negative consequences – the productivity level of the entire team is significantly reduced, since a large share of energy is spent on bullying. Family ties are destroyed for all participants in bullying, as such behavior begins to become a habit and is transferred from the work environment to relatives.

Reasons for mobbing

The occurrence of mobbing can be caused by external factors or intrapersonal characteristics of the participants in the process. Quite often, the hidden reason is the desire to fire an employee when it is impossible to do this using legal norms. In such situations, the process of bullying may be stimulated by management in order to get the person to voluntarily quit.

The next most common is the unspoken internal hierarchy, when employees who have worked for a long time in the company consider it their duty to teach new arrivals. Usually in these teams there is a turnover of personnel, despite the fact that the main core remains in full force. Internal reasons may be fear of competition, intolerance to innovation, or the desire to manage newly arrived employees. Closely related to this reason is the desire to maintain one’s place and authority by belittling others. Such employees do not strive to improve their own professional level, and all their activities are aimed at finding fault and discrediting others.

The desire to increase their own importance and establish themselves pushes many people to humiliate and insult others. This can manifest itself both at the expense of subordinates and colleagues equal in position. This behavior is motivated by psychological trauma, complexes, and lack of ability to gain respect through work and develop one’s professionalism. The result can be not only humiliation and subsequent departure of the employees who are attacked, but also the loss of authority and respect from the aggressor himself.

A person’s personal characteristics cannot guarantee the absence of mobbing in his direction; there are no criteria for those who definitely cannot be attacked, but at the same time, behavior that contributes to outbreaks of psychological violence has been identified. Of course, standing out among the team helps, and the higher the degree of dissimilarity, the more likely mobbing is. If a person does not adhere to the habits of the team, argues with the established order, questions the authority of his superiors, takes negative attention, violates norms considered universal (politeness, conscientiousness, morality, etc.).

Victimization (victim behavior) can provoke mobbing in the most friendly and supportive team. Usually the victim himself provokes aggression by his behavior, showing weakness, complaining, constantly complaining or expecting a blow. This condition is a consequence of psychological trauma, possibly physical or bullying at school age.

The structure of the organization itself may promote or prevent mobbing by reducing tension or increasing anxiety. The initial presence of inequality of rights and responsibilities, ambiguity of the main goal and policy of the corporation, equal salaries with an unevenly distributed workload, lack of job descriptions and other aspects that are designed to stabilize and streamline work disrupts the psychological balance. The emotional state of a team can be compared to a powder keg, and the slightest spark (a new employee, another task, family privileges, etc.) can provoke not only a single act of opposition to injustice, but also aggressive behavior as a style of interaction.

In teams of such a structure, skills develop quickly (to wages, the age of the employee, initiative, or even new shoes). Anyone who stands out in any way begins to be bullied, and attempts to discuss this lead to demands to become like everyone else, which is obviously impossible. Race, level of intelligence, sense of humor, culture of communication, professional potential - qualities that evoke admiration, but also destructive behavior of colleagues.

Mobbing at work

Mobbing is the form of violence that is most often discussed in relation to work groups. The term is not applicable to emotional aggression within the family or among strangers, since it initially implies working relationships and the involvement (explicit or indirect) of management as an authority that does not contribute to eliminating the situation.

Usually the victims are new employees who attract a lot of attention and do not follow the rules of the team. In some cases, mobbing can be confused with the process of adaptation, when it is natural to point out mistakes to a person and react sharply to his critical remarks, since authority has not yet been earned. The adaptation period can take up to a month; if conflicts and tension in relationships increase, and those who initially behaved neutrally take sides, then we can talk about mobbing.

Examples of mobbing apply not only to newly arrived employees; relationships can change within an established team during personnel changes, in moments of crisis, when interesting vacancies open or when a manager needs to be replaced. Bullying among a close-knit team can also occur as a result of changes. For example, a change in social status (no matter marriage or divorce), professional development (completion of additional courses, manifestation of independence and initiative) and other moments due to which a person begins to stand out.

The main responsibility for the occurrence or absence of bullying lies with the manager, who must provide the necessary psychological atmosphere, as well as promptly stop such incidents. This development can be prevented by dismissing the attacker (if there are no objective reasons for his aggression) or the victim (if there is a fact of provocation or the objectivity of the attacker’s claims). But it is impossible to exclude mobbing where the manager himself practices a humiliating attitude towards employees, ignoring them or encouraging bullying for the sake of entertainment.

The work environment is a reflection of internal culture and communication skills; the climate in the team indicates psychological well-being. That is why a banal lack of communication skills can lead to general anger, just as a low level of internal culture leaves a person with only one way to resolve disagreements - conflict. In a healthy and stable environment, a person with the consequences of stress can normalize the state of his psyche, someone who does not have enough practice in communication can learn to interact, and someone who is afraid of ridicule can develop confidence. In the same way, someone who stubbornly resists their own changes will, over time, cause negativity in people with any level of tolerance.

Mobbing at school

Mobbing at school is a rarer phenomenon; usually, children's groups are characterized by bullying, when one child bullies another (the relationship is clarified at the level of two individuals). When mobbing, group bullying occurs, and the roles of the victim and the mobbers can be distributed differently. A group of students may harass a classmate, a student from another class or school, or a teacher. In the same way, a group of teachers can humiliate the entire class or one student or their colleague. It is worth noting that the most common scenario is when a group of children terrorizes their classmate, and teachers, noticing what is happening, do not intervene in the process.

About fifty examples of bullying have been identified, and the distribution is typical depending on gender. So, guys more often choose physical methods of influence - kicking, tripping or beating. Girls are characterized by a choice of psychological aspects of violence - gossip, slander, isolation, boycott, sarcasm. The use of threats, insults, ridicule and reproaches is equally common. Cyber ​​mobbing is especially popular, which makes it almost impossible to identify the aggressor. There are frequent cases when the victim is deliberately driven to a nervous breakdown, and the video is posted online or a lot of photo montages and posts are created, the purpose of which is to humiliate.

The lack of reaction on the part of the teaching staff to what is happening is explained by the reluctance to intervene (there is no fact of causing physical damage, and the comments, albeit in an incorrect form, are related to reality). In addition, most teachers themselves sometimes provoke mobbing or behave like tyrants towards the class, which reinforces the negative behavior strategy. For many, due to their own personal characteristics, mobbing does not represent something outside the norm. This attitude of management and teachers as elders leads to widespread mobbing.

School manifestations of violence ultimately shape adult individuals with mental disorders, where the mobster is highly likely to turn out to be a criminal, and the victim is a regular client of a psychotherapist at best, and at worst a socially unadapted person. And if, when bullying occurs in an adult group, there is a need to stop further bullying, then the school will require prevention among all classes, as well as psychological help. It is important to remember that many tips that would be relevant for adults (for example, not to react to provocations) are completely useless among children. They need not to be persistent, but to engage in active struggle, for example, to make friends with someone from the offender’s group, to find a strong ally, or to resolve everything individually with the leader of the group of persecutors.

In trying to resolve the situation, it is important to monitor the child’s condition and consider transferring to another school before the persecution and bullying cause deep psychological trauma.

How to resist mobbing

The development of mobbing has several phases, depending on which methods of confrontation, struggle or prevention will be distinguished. Prevention of mobbing includes ensuring a calm working microclimate and timely resolution of conflict situations. It is necessary to constantly improve management skills of management, rational and optimized load distribution. Everything related to making work easier, drawing up standards and clarity in requirements helps maintain relationships and a positive emotional mood.

An exception is necessary, including fines and dismissals, cases of family and love affairs, the spread of gossip and blackmail. Thus, in some countries, the prohibition of mobbing is stipulated in the employment contract and implies material compensation. Forming the right corporate culture will help to avoid rejection of innovations and differences between people. Otherwise, an aggressive communication style begins to form as a way to relieve tension and search for a victim to work off negative emotions.

It is in this first phase, when one person becomes the point of descent of negative emotions of the collective and disturbances in the human psyche begin, even minor ones, leading to emotional instability. To avoid becoming a target, try to show concern for people and use charm, and also do not allow yourself to be psychologically terrorized. The fewer people who allow themselves to behave like this, the less it will be welcomed and will be unacceptable towards you. At this stage, it is better to maintain a business distance with everyone, even if you have a long-term friendship with your boss, then you need to leave it outside and not advertise it. In the event that people start picking on you, you need to react as calmly as possible and find out the purpose of the complaints on an objective level. At this stage of mobbing this is still possible.

When the mobber’s actions are not stopped at the initial stage, the attacks become stable and repetitive, and in this situation the victim is faced with a constant feeling of being harassed and emerging health problems. It is still optimal to abstract yourself from the situation and try to find out the reasons for the dissatisfaction. The important point is to do the work conscientiously, instead of being distracted by sorting things out, then when appealing to your superiors there will be no complaints against you. If you cannot resolve the conflict on your own, you should contact your staff psychologist, the personnel department, or your manager if you have no previous positions.

The next stage is the isolation of the employee from the entire team, he does not receive feedback on his work and is deprived of informal communication. The psyche perceives such a state as an immediate threat to life and spends enormous amounts of energy on maintaining working capacity. During this period, diseases of the somatic and psychiatric spectrum develop, suicidal attempts and frequent absences from work for health reasons appear. If the situation has reached such a level and all previous actions have not helped, then you can go to court to resolve the dispute. Most likely, the case will end with dismissal (it is impossible to determine in advance by whom) and payment of compensation.

The final phase of mobbing, if the situation is not resolved, is dismissal. In the optimistic version, the person was able to maintain mental and physical health, realized the negative impact in time and quit or found a new job. In the worst case scenario, dismissal occurs due to incompetence.

It is important to be able to find the line when a situation becomes unbearable for a person and begins to harm one’s health. Leaving the team in time, where it is impossible to influence the mobber, is the key to maintaining health, but also an opportunity for career growth where no one will hinder development.

Hello, dear blog readers! Mobbing is one of the types of psychological violence that manifests itself at work. And today we will look at the reasons for its occurrence, as well as recommendations on how to maintain your peace of mind and, if possible, your workplace.

Causes

Despite the fact that the term comes from the English word mob, which means crowd, they are subject to it both from the entire team and only from the manager or just one colleague. The goal is usually simple - to get the chosen victim fired, but there are also more sophisticated motives, such as obtaining satisfaction from the suffering of another person.

Let's look at the most common reasons for mobbing, so:

1. Envy

Not all people are able to cope with their feelings, especially envy, and they are not always aware of it. Why are they trying to even slightly spoil the life of an individual who dared to be better in something, or is the happy owner of what he himself dreams of?

For example, a young and beautiful girl, and even capable, comes to a team where older women who have difficulties in their personal lives work. Do you think they will be happy to accept the new girl? It’s unlikely, if only because she will constantly remind with her appearance that they are no longer so good and young.

Why, it is quite expected that anger will arise, which will need to be somehow “selected out”, but bumping into these feelings every day is not entirely pleasant and desirable, therefore, the solution is bullying, both collective and from just one person.

2. Competition

Everyone’s level of ambition is different, but what if a person made a lot of effort to achieve a higher position and salary, but then suddenly another, completely new person was put in such a desired position? Those who strive for power by any means will not look at anything, and will calmly clear the way for themselves, no matter what the cost.

So, if you accidentally turn out to be a hindrance, rest assured that he will do everything, but he will achieve his goal. You don’t have to worry about your personality, that you weren’t loved for something specific, and so on, no, it’s just a cold-blooded calculation, you just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

3. Dissatisfaction

Both the position held, the salary, and life in general. People with a low level of development sometimes try to “rise” at the expense of others; they do not know themselves, their character traits, capabilities and resources, so they try to achieve inner comfort and confidence by humiliating another person. Thus, they feel superiority, power, and this gives the illusion that they are worth something, that they are strong. Therefore, those who are unable to fight back are chosen as victims.

This usually happens at school, when children are not yet fully developed and aware, which is why they rely on external factors rather than internal resources, offending the defenseless and weak. Unfortunately, some of them grow up continuing to use the old methods.

4. Conflict

As a result, there arises a need for revenge, a desire to clear one’s name if there were witnesses to this conflict, to regain the favor of colleagues, and so on.

5. Tendency to sadism

Although this is rare, it does happen. The psychology of maniacs is such that they completely lack humanity and the ability to empathize. These are the ones I talked about at the very beginning, submission and infliction of pain gives pleasure.

6. Personality

I think I won’t surprise you with the information that often the victim himself provokes aggression, both by behavior and personal characteristics. Maybe you know the famous triangle “victim-rescuer-tyrant”? So, each participant in the triangle changes roles without constantly being in the same image.

So the victim, having felt unfair violence towards himself, then torments his offender, turning into a tyrant, after which he experiences guilt and tries to make amends for it, falling into the role of a savior, which over time provokes a new wave of aggression, becoming a victim again. And so on in a circle.

So, if a person appears in the team who is not able to defend himself and his positions, this really arouses the desire to check how much he can endure and when will he finally stop the bullying?

7. Fear

With the arrival of a new manager, there is a fear of change, especially if he actually begins to introduce changes. And then people try to cling to the old regime, even if it was uncomfortable, but familiar and familiar, starting to use mobbing in relation to the new threat.

8. Authority

The management, lacking the skills and knowledge about organization and management, chooses, as it seems to them, a win-win option - terrorizing employees. Justifying his approach by saying that it is better to be afraid of him than not to respect him, since children cannot be baptized with them, and he does not care what they think of him, as long as they meekly follow the instructions.

9. Boredom

Surprisingly, the monotony becomes so boring that the team begins to feel the need to diversify their everyday life. Coming up with methods of terror and discussing the reaction of the unfortunate person with others evokes feelings of passion and excitement, which has a positive effect on the desire and interest in going to the office in the morning.

10. System

I mean that if any system exists for a long time, then it will not tolerate changes, mercilessly destroying the new and different. This doesn't always happen, but unfortunately it does happen.

There is a core of employees who have been working in the same company for decades; they are dependent on each other, even if they hate each participant. But at the same time, they unite as soon as someone new joins them in order to “be friends against.” Having evicted one, they take on the other with interest, almost making bets on how long the new unfortunate one will last.

Types of bullying

1. By direction

• Horizontal. That is, oppression from the team, with whom you are on an equal footing.
• Vertical (bossing), when he directly terrorizes his superiors.

2. By manifestation

• Open. That is, obvious and obvious.
• Latent. Pressure on a person is carried out covertly, everyone seems to understand perfectly well what is happening, but there is no reason to rely on, and when trying to clarify the situation, the aggressor will deny his participation and intentions. Such a passive-aggressive position, when the expected results are achieved, that is, the dismissal of the desired person, they do not take responsibility for the consequences, believing that he simply turned out to be weak and weak-willed.

Bullying Tools

So, now let's look at the main points of how mobbing manifests itself.

Boycott. It’s just that people around you suddenly stop inviting you to informal gatherings, they fall silent as soon as such a person simply enters the room, they don’t share news and gossip, they either keep silent about corporate events or announce them at the very last moment. This is a very complex type of psychological violence, since not everyone is able to cope with tension. A person spends most of his time at work, which is why a huge part of his life turns into torture.

Nitpicking. No matter how well he performs his duties, a person still listens to what he could have done better and, in general, how many nuances he did not take into account. There may be a feeling that you are not capable of anything, to the point that you are so bad that you are not worthy of a good life and position. Managers often use this method to avoid taking responsibility for dismissal, especially if it cannot be organized for completely official and legal reasons.

Ridicule. They are used if it is possible to recognize the “Achilles heel” of the selected victim. Then the blows will be mercilessly delivered to the most painful place - the complexes, exacerbating their impact on the individual.

Denunciation. In simple words, it’s snitching. Every mistake at work will be known to your superiors. To the point where the employee dared to make a photocopy of his passport or was a couple of minutes late.

Disinformation. Most often used in relation to newcomers who are not yet aware of all the responsibilities, various work nuances and internal policies. But then, in the eyes of the manager, they look like completely unintelligent and bad specialists trying to slander some valuable employee.

Ignoring Abilities. In this case, the management seems to “not notice” attempts to give everything to the fullest for the sake of the result, showing initiative, etc. Therefore, such a person is not promoted, not rewarded for his efforts, deprived of bonuses and, if possible, fined for minor things.

And the last way, the rarest and most terrible is harm to both the personal belongings of the unfortunate person and those items for which he is financially responsible. Although it happens that they mix in all sorts of laxatives and trip me up.

Consequences

1. The most terrible is that even a strong-willed person can be broken if you “put pressure” at the moment when he turned out to be vulnerable and vulnerable. You can’t always be on your toes; sometimes there are moments when we waste resources and need support and time to recover. So, if it is during this period that you hit a weak point, then the person may well commit suicide. Such cases rarely occur in which a person kills himself because of work difficulties, but they do exist, especially if conflicts with superiors or colleagues overlap with other life troubles.
2. Daily stress leads to various diseases, especially the cardiovascular system and stomach most often suffer, headaches, insomnia and teeth crumble from retained anger.
3. Depression. Any of the instruments of tyranny causes psychological discomfort, and if it lasts for a long time, a person becomes mentally unstable, which has a beneficial effect on the occurrence of a depressive state.
4. Decreased self-esteem. Oh, mobbing really hits the self-esteem of even a self-confident person. The feeling that you are an outcast and someone doesn’t like you, especially if a whole group of people are against you, is unsettling, and also makes you think that you are not that good.
5. Reduced efficiency. Experiences and attempts to cope with stress negatively affect attention, significantly worsening it, which is why mistakes are made and important nuances are not taken into account.
6. Relationships with loved ones deteriorate. If there is no way to directly express aggression, it accumulates and finds a way out in safer conditions. And family is precisely the space where a person can be himself and not be afraid of rejection.

Fighting methods

Let's now look at the main ways of fighting, because under no circumstances should we let the situation take its course, otherwise the situation will get worse and worse every day.

Requires endurance and calm

1. First of all, try to talk openly with the offenders, what happened and why exactly you did not suit them. Otherwise, you can endlessly change your place of work and find yourself in similar situations, instead of realizing whether the reason really lies in your personality and behavior pattern. And by talking openly, you will defuse the situation, perhaps the tyrants will let off steam and they will no longer need to torment you further.
2. If someone is aiming for your position, first determine for yourself whether this position is worth the effort. And if so, then give it your all, but prove that you are a worthy opponent and will not give up so easily.
3. Control yourself, because you may be deliberately provoked into hysteria or aggression in order to show that you are not a professional and do not deserve to be in such company. Use the techniques described in the article. And don’t forget to give vent to your emotions, go in for sports, yoga, hit a punching bag, etc.
4. If you understand that the game is not worth the candle, feel free to write a letter of resignation. Few salaries will cover the damage caused, which will affect both the emotional state and health, relationships with loved ones and, in general, the quality of life.
5. To understand what is happening and understand what to do next, ask yourself a number of questions, just be frank, you need this, first of all:
   If I don't quit, what's the worst that could happen?
   Am I ready to look for a new job?
   If yes, what needs to be done for this?
   Do I need help, both medical and psychological?
   If I change positions but stay with the same company, will this help my situation?

More drastic ways

• To be on the safe side, get a video camera or voice recorder, then any insults, threats and illegal actions will be recorded, and you will be able to defend your rights.
• Learn to defend your boundaries, you shouldn’t allow yourself to be treated the way you want, you are a living person, and you may like some things, but others may be unacceptable. But how will others know about it if you remain silent? So be sure to confront, you are a person who deserves good treatment and respect. Check out the article.
• If you just got a job, be friendly with everyone, and try not to get involved in conflicts between old employees, gossip and conspiracies. Take a closer look, study your colleagues to understand how to treat whom and what you can talk about and what it is better to remain silent about. Take advantage of the recommendations from about communication skills, thanks to them you will be able to win over others, as well as increase your level of charm.
• If possible, take advantage of connections, if any, or, as a last resort, try to create them. The world is a small place, and if you wish, you can discover those who have influence over the offenders.
• In cases where material or physical damage has been caused, do not be timid and feel free to call the police; such situations cannot be left with impunity.

Conclusion

And in conclusion, I’ll say, maybe it’s time for you to change your job? which will help answer this question.

And that’s all for today, dear readers! Protect yourself, and do not give offense, set an example for those who are not capable of active action. And remember, life must be valued, time passes too quickly, and it is impossible to turn it back! Take care of yourself and your loved ones!

The material was prepared by Alina Zhuravina.

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Discomfort at work, insufficiently trusting and unfriendly relationships with colleagues, psychological pressure from a boss on subordinates, gossip and open expression of hostility - these manifestations may be signs of mobbing. Psychological violence in the workplace manifests itself in open opposition of the team to a colleague or manager, or in secretive, “veiled” interference in the course of the work process. In about half of the cases, mobbing at work ends with the employee being fired, and establishing relationships becomes a very big problem.

Mobbing at work - its types and methods

There can be many reasons for hostility within a team:

• the behavior of the victim of psychological “bullying”;
• a well-established team tradition of checking a new employee;
• leadership style;
• elementary envy of a more experienced or bright colleague;
• employee dismissal policy, when optimizing the number, etc.

Not every employee can withstand such pressure due to various personality characteristics. Sometimes the only way out becomes.

If “bullying” in a team leads a person to develop health problems, then it is better to leave such a place of work.

There are several types of psychological pressure.

Firstly, this is a negative relationship between ordinary employees. This type of mobbing manifests itself in the psychological violence of one or more colleagues towards their co-worker.

Secondly, pressure can go along the line management - subordinates. With this type of mobbing, management usually acts as the initiator of psychological bullying. It is extremely rare for a team to try to survive an unwanted or new leader.

Manifestations of mobbing

Psychological pressure can manifest itself in open or latent form. Negative statements addressed to the “victim,” humiliation of personal or professional dignity, gossip and rumors are all manifestations of an open form of mobbing. A person is simply humiliated or called into conflict, where he may not show his best side.

There are many examples of open form. One or more employees may harass a co-worker by expressing dislike for him or her or making constant comments about the employee's appearance, ignoring any attempts at communication, or showing hostility towards the “victim.”

Often in conversations with other colleagues, sometimes even in the presence of the employee under pressure, unpleasant statements are made. Errors made at work are exaggerated, the circumstances of their commission are brought to the attention of management, indicating that the cause was the incompetence of the employee.

Reasons for open mobbing by a manager

This type of mobbing is often used by some managers; the goal is to fire an employee. There may be several reasons for a hostile attitude, and not all of them are related to the personality of the persecuted employee.

For example, a company practices hiring staff with long-term . Throughout this period, management vigilantly monitors the actions of employees, and any mistake made becomes a reason to express doubts about the competence and the need for the continued presence of such an employee in the team. This situation may be due to reluctance to increase pay after successfully passing the test.

Often in such organizations, low salary agreements are concluded with employees on a probationary period. Towards the end of the test, the employee is increasingly told that with his qualifications he should not count on a permanent position.

With this approach to personnel, the organization has a constant turnover of personnel and a lot of not the most flattering reviews about it as an employer on specialized resources.

Before applying for such a vacancy or accepting a job offer, do your research on the future employer. This will help you avoid becoming another candidate for “victims” of mobbing.

Another reason for psychological pressure from management or colleagues is the future. In order to save on expenses when dismissing people, they are actually forced to write applications of their own free will.

Sometimes management can also involve colleagues in mobbing, under the pretext that if the “victim” is fired, the rest will not lose their jobs.

Latent form of mobbing

The latent form manifests itself in hidden opposition, creating interference in the performance of official duties. Such actions are usually followed by reports to management about the incompetence of the employee who has become a “victim” of bullying.

When communicating with the persecuted employee, other colleagues are extremely polite, sometimes the visible part of the relationship in the team even looks friendly. Colleagues openly help each other solve some work or personal issues. But any mistake immediately becomes known to management, often with the preparation of official official memos.

For example, an employee periodically loses important documents from his desk and then finds them in the most unexpected places; he is not informed about instructions from management or is not given information about meetings where he should be present.

At first, these facts can be attributed to forgetfulness or absent-mindedness, however, if they are repeated with increasing frequency, then you should think about the reasons for mobbing.

This type of psychological pressure can be used by management, for example, against an employee who has been reinstated to his previous job through the court. There are no obvious obstacles for him to perform his job duties, however, his superiors or, on his instructions, his colleagues can do everything to prevent the employee from completing his work on time and with high quality. Subsequently, claims against the employee are documented, with the imposition And the employee resigns himself or at the initiative of the employer.

Ways to prevent and combat mobbing

Very often, new employees in already established teams that have been formed over the years are tested for strength.

It is often enough for a new employee to join the team, observe traditions and be able to stand up for himself without crossing the line of decency.

For example, before meeting future colleagues, learn about the traditions of informal admission to team members. This could be a simple tea party on the first day of work at the expense of an employee who comes to work. You cannot abandon tradition and not bring a treat - such behavior will immediately have a negative impact on the team’s assessment of the new employee and can cause further conflicts.

The reason for hostility towards a new employee may also be professional qualities. Lack of competence or, conversely, a higher level of qualifications compared to other members of the team quite often becomes the basis for “bullying”.

For example, a customer service banking institution hires an employee with a specialized higher education, while the rest of the employees have a secondary specialized education. Many can conclude that at the first opportunity such an employee has a greater chance of being promoted, although one of his long-time colleagues was counting on a higher position.

In this case, the new employee must strictly carry out all instructions from management and his immediate responsibilities and try not to pay attention to the attacks of some team members. Sometimes you can fight back in the correct form. If there are no serious reasons for the employee’s “survival,” then the persecution will stop.

In especially severe cases, when the reason for “bullying” an employee is the desire to get rid of him, and the claims and remarks have no real basis, attack tactics become a defense.

Negative influence from employees or management can be captured using a camera in a mobile phone or recorded on a voice recorder. After this, it is necessary to warn that if the conflict continues, the contents of the recordings will become known to senior management or will be used as evidence in court. As a rule, after such a response, the persecution stops.

When mobbing is not mobbing

Hostile behavior on the part of surrounding employees is not always a manifestation of psychological pressure.

If complaints are made by colleagues and management for various reasons, they may be caused by the employee’s incorrect behavior or attitude towards work.

It is quite possible that the comments are aimed at indicating actual errors in the employee’s behavior, and are not intended to humiliate him. In this situation, you first need to look at your behavior from the outside and perhaps correct something about it.

For example, often the team does not like it when an employee boasts excessively, speaks disparagingly about something or someone, thereby showing his superiority over other employees.

Such behavior, as a rule, does not have sufficient grounds and is rightly not liked by others. They sometimes express their complaints against a colleague in a not entirely correct form. To eliminate negativity in relationships between colleagues, in this case, it is enough to adjust your behavior and the comments will stop.

Also, an irresponsible attitude towards official duties or the requirements of job descriptions becomes a reason for criticism. In especially severe cases, when verbal complaints are not taken into account by a person, even written reports to management or warnings about inappropriate behavior may be used.

In order for the negativity to go away, the employee simply needs to reconsider his attitude towards the work being performed, become a more responsible performer, and follow the rules of behavior.

Confrontation between the team and the leader

The new head of a department or organization may also become the object of negative influence from subordinates. As a rule, one of the employees already working in the organization applies for this position, and the new boss hired has to face opposition from the team.

For example, a new boss is appointed by outside management because the performance of the department is not satisfactory to the director of the company, and the previous head of the department did not cope with the task.

In this case, the team does not want change, new working methods may not suit employees who have worked in the department for a long time, and this becomes the reason for the “survival” of the new manager.

The situation can be resolved in several ways.

First, try to find support from the informal leader, perhaps promising him a promotion after the situation normalizes. Such a person has leverage over his colleagues, has worked with them for a long time and knows the strengths and weaknesses of each department employee.

Secondly, you can arrange a general meeting to briefly explain the new appointment to employees, set specific tasks for them, as a result of which they will remain in their places, and the performance of the department will improve.

You should not suddenly change your work tactics or redraw your job responsibilities.

This will cause a natural negative reaction and lead to sabotage of the orders of the new boss.

Thirdly, in the event of a long-term confrontation, the absence of a positive reaction to the action of the appointed leader, or the exhaustion of other ways to improve relations in the team, a complete or partial replacement may be necessary. If employees are accustomed to working “carelessly” and do not want to change their behavior, then the way out of the conflict situation is dismissal.

Psychological pressure can and should be resisted. There are a lot of ways to fight. At the same time, it is necessary to understand that the inability to improve relationships in the team or health problems due to attacks from colleagues and management make dismissal the best way out of the situation. At the same time, you can pay attention to the behavior of the persecuted employee; it is possible that his mistakes became the reason for comments and complaints. This situation can hardly be classified as mobbing, and the person needs to reconsider his behavior.

The situation when the entire team takes up arms against one person is familiar to many. What to do if because of this you have to live in constant stress? Today on the website Koshechka.ru you will learn what mobbing at work is and how to counter this phenomenon.

What's in the article:

Mobbing: an excursion into history

The concept of “mobbing” appeared in our everyday life relatively recently. Although humanity has been familiar with this phenomenon since ancient times, psychologists began to explore this area of ​​human relations in the 80s of the last century.

This word was introduced into our speech by the Swedish psychologist H. Leiman. It comes from the English word “mob”, which means “crowd”. It was Leiman who gave this concept a clear definition. Mobbing is an open and hostile attitude of the majority of people in the work collective towards an individual, which manifests itself with enviable regularity.

The victim of mobbing is abused in every possible way, leading to dismissal from work. Psychological research has proven that about 20% of people suffer from harassment at work. About 10% of suicides occur due to mobbing. As you can see, this phenomenon in the work team poses a danger not only to psychological, but also to physical health.

Reasons for mobbing

The most common reasons that lead to one of the team members becoming an outcast include:

Unfavorable psychological climate at work

It happens that due to improperly organized work, a dictatorial boss, or the flourishing status of gossips and informers in the team, discontent grows. Sooner or later, this time bomb will explode and the discontent of employees will be directed at the one who is the weakest in the team. The person who, at the moment of an emotional outburst, accidentally provokes his employees into aggression may also suffer.

The appearance of a newcomer at work who is not like everyone else

I very often consider “White Crows” to be outsiders; they are not accepted into the team. People are wary of innovations and rejection of what is unacceptable to them occurs on an unconscious level. In this situation, mobbing is only possible at work where there are well-established traditions in communication. In young teams, mobbing practically does not happen.

Envy

Your success in financial well-being, career advancement, and even in your personal life can become a reason for mobbing from your colleagues at work.

Self-affirmation at the expense of others

Self-affirmation at the expense of those who are weaker is inherent not only in children's, but also in adult groups.

Boss' dislike

Mobbing from colleagues at work is possible due to the fact that the team simply tunes in to the wave of their boss and, to please him, begins to bully the employee they don’t like.

However, psychologists believe that the most important reason for this phenomenon is the personality of the victim. Both your shortcomings and your strengths can lead to bullying at work; you just need to ensure that the aggressors do not have these qualities.

You can provoke mobbing if:

• To gossip;
• Show weakness and uncertainty;
• wonder;
• Boast;
• Be indignant and complain about work;
• To be the boss's favorite employee;
• Ignore banquets and corporate parties, standing out from the crowd;
• Arrive at work on time if the team is accustomed to being a little late, or vice versa;
• Receive a prize or award.

Management can also use mobbing to reduce the number of employees. This technique is often used when it is necessary to fire someone in order to save money, but there are no objective reasons for dismissal.

The two most common types of mobbing at work

Mobbing has many varieties, but two of them are most common. You must know them in order to promptly recognize and take steps to eliminate this phenomenon in your life.

1. Vertical and horizontal. Vertical is aimed at the boss or vice versa: when the boss is trying to survive the subordinate. Horizontal is when a group of people bully one of their colleagues.
2. Hidden or latent. In this case, the victim experiences a lack of communication in the team; she is ignored, contacted only about work issues.

The purpose of these actions is aimed at only one thing - to force a person to leave his job.

How to resist mobbing

It is not only possible, but necessary to combat mobbing at work! Otherwise, the victim of attacks from colleagues faces: depression and stress, low self-esteem, decreased performance and loss of concentration, aggression without motive and, against the backdrop of all this, exacerbation of chronic diseases.

If you feel that you have become a victim of mobbing, the first thing you should do is calm down and analyze the current situation. Analyze everything and find out why this situation arose. You can leave your job, but if you do not find out the reasons for the persecution, then it is quite natural that in a new workplace you will again become a victim.

To analyze the situation, identify the main instigator of the conflict and the people who can support you, psychologists advise keeping a notebook in which you will have to write down everything that concerns your relationships with colleagues. Over time, these notes will help you figure out the true cause of bullying at work.

How to deal with mobbing at work if everyone is just waiting for you to break down and leave your workplace? Do not give up! Prove to everyone that you are an indispensable employee! Learn to react calmly to barbs; ignore them and continue to do your job calmly and confidently. Under no circumstances respond to insults, do not stoop to the level of people who offend you.

When being bullied, take your work responsibilities more responsibly. Any puncture you make can later be used against you. Eliminate lateness, poorly performed work, and delays in completing tasks. This approach to work will not allow aggressors to unsettle you.

If bullying at work is just beginning, try to fight back firmly. The aggressors will understand that this trick will not work with you and will retreat.

Remember: the initiator of pressure will immediately sense your weakness if you show panic and fear. This will only lead to new attacks. Don't give anyone this pleasure!

Still, it is impossible to let the situation take its course. Ignoring ridicule, do not remain silent when they “wipe their feet on you.” Excessive patience and weakness will not make aggressors compassionate. Hysteria won't help either. It is best to make it clear as politely as possible, but with dignity, that you do not intend to tolerate any more attacks.

You can fight attacks by building a constructive dialogue with the aggressors. Try to have a heart-to-heart talk with the main instigator of the conflict, very often this technique improves the situation, because dialogue is better than argument.

Avoid professional mistakes. By carefully analyzing what is happening, you will be able to notice the “planted pig” in time and correct the situation.

What to do if the situation gets out of control? advises: in this case, it is advisable to have a video camera or voice recorder in order to be able to argue illegal actions against you in court.

Mobbing at work is psychological vampirism, how to resist it? It is common knowledge that psychological vampires crave feedback. They need your aggression, hysteria and irritation. If this does not happen, the “vampire” will quickly lose interest in such a victim. Ignore other people’s rejection of you, sooner or later the aggressors will calm down, losing interest in you. In this situation, the main thing is not to break down and persevere!

Quitting your job is a complete surrender! But, if you can no longer tolerate the current situation, if you are gradually turning into a nervous woman with dark circles under your eyes, think: is it worth enduring all this at all? Perhaps it will be easier to quit in order to reconsider your attitude to the situation, heal your nerves and, having learned this lesson, find a new job to start a new life in a friendly team.

The article was checked and approved by a psychologist. Gryzlova Olga Yuryevna, special psychologist, 15 years of experience. .

Answer

Good afternoon I also have a situation where they say black when talking about white, and white when talking about black. And here everything is very simple. I got into the group (I myself am a ballet student, that is, I graduated from a choreographic school, institute and master's degree) and became the leader of a children's ensemble, and the ensemble constantly travels, children become laureates of competitions and are invited to gala concerts. The choreography department offered me a watch. And there you know, already titled teachers. They set others up and try to survive me for my professionalism (you yourself understand how classical dance is conducted). At the end of the year we have a test lesson, the students showed themselves worthy. And then it all started, a lot of comments were made in my direction (I only like comments when people understand what they are talking about). And they themselves have deaf amateur performances. What should I do?

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It turns out there are a lot of us.

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What exactly should you say to the instigator?

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