Trying your best to have a high level of emotional intelligence is extremely important in the workplace. It helps you learn from your coworkers more effectively, and work with them more productively. In workplace bullying situations, having emotional intelligence helps you better predict the actions or motivations behind harmful behavior. A working understanding of emotional intelligence shouldn’t be relegated to the HR department, either – having educational courses about developing professional empathy is something businesses should incorporate into wellness programs. Developing emotional intelligence as a group can also be a great way of developing workplace culture as well, so all around, it’s something business leaders should pay more attention to. You can find out more about emotional intelligence at Forbes.com.
Overcoming Toxic Workplaces
The indicators featured in this story are dead-on. However, while the first step towards fixing “toxic” workplace cultures is to recognize them, more needs to be said about what business leaders can do to fix them. Previously, I’ve suggested the installation of a “chief bullying officer” at companies, distinct from HR departments, who can serve as a resource for improving corporate culture and acting as an advocate for bullied employees. Additionally, the style of leadership at a business informs the culture for the rest of the company. If the CEO is a bully, then there are sure to be more bullies beneath her; if the CEO is magnanimous, professional and attentive to employees, the managers below her will follow suit. Business leaders need to walk the walk before talking the talk about improving their internal cultures. Read more about toxic workplaces at Forbes.
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Response to "Is Your Workplace Full of Corporate Bullies?"
This overview of workplace bullying, or “workplace incivility” as author Dan Pontefract puts it, is really helpful for diagnosing any harmful activity taking place in your workplace. In addition to the stats presented in the article on how bullying affects productivity, noted psychologist Heinz Leymann found that 95% of people who have experienced workplace bullying also exhibit signs of PTSD after incidents. The costs, both financial and human, of workplace bullying are too high. Check out the full article at Forbes.
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