"I'LL YELL AT WHOEVER I WANT TO YELL AT"! As disturbing as the grammatical error in this statement was to hear, the message was even more troubling. In case we were unclear about the message shouted at us, that indeed, he could yell at whomever he wanted to yell at; he then pounded his meaty fist down upon the table, causing my bottled water (and heart) to jump. So, I sat. And pondered. How did I get here? Why were the antics of this individual so regularly on display? How could we effect a change? Who was going to effect the change? Did he need ice for his fist?
Then I considered the environment in which this pronouncement occurred. No, it wasn't on the battlefield, nor a town criers' competition. Nor did it occur at a gathering of the hearing impaired. It simply occurred during a business meeting attended by managerial staff in a normal office environment. Wait, did I say 'normal'? Well, it certainly is not uncommon and the health and financial impacts of bullying behaviour in the workplace is just starting to be realized; although, as we will see, not always recognized.
We'll explore this further over the several blogs, and I hope the information and anecdotes provide some entertainment and perhaps, some education. I will draw upon my own experiences, educational materials, and discussions with various counsellors and business coaches. I welcome your comments as well, in the hopes that together, we can find some answers and maybe some peace.
As for me, you can call me Clyde. I guess you could say I am a middle aged, finance professional with work experience in both the private and public sectors. Always able to 'balance the books', but I never had much luck reconciling bullying behaviour with teamwork and a positive work environment.
