A new director, who is being bullied by the office manager, contacted me for conflict coaching. The recently promoted director approached the office manager to relocate to an office closer to her new department. The requested office location is currently used for storage. In response to the relocation request, the office manager emphatically said, “No.” And she then added, laughingly, “That would inconvenience me! I hang my coat in that storage room.” The new director replied, “You can still put your coat in my office”. The office manager raised her voice saying, “Your office? I don’t want my coat to smell like you!” (wrinkling her nose). The new director shared this conversation with a peer director. The peer related that this office manager had bullied most of the directors at one time or another. The executive director had taken a hands-off approach, telling directors that they need to deal directly with the office manager. The new director later overheard a conversation between the office manager and another peer director. The office manager said haughtily, “Janie (the new director) thinks she can pull rank on me. As long as I am in charge of office space, she’s not getting the storage room for her office. (Snickering) besides the walk from her old office will do her fat a_ _ some good.”
When coaching clients around bullying, two critical questions come to the forefront:
1) What can be done at the corporate or department level by the person targeted? (As an employee, manager or even a new director, what is it going to take to impact the corporate/department culture and values to make it clear that bullying is not acceptable?)
2) What can be done directly by the target to impact the bully’s behavior and thinking? (What is it going to take for an employee or new director as an individual to stop being targeted by a bully?)