The bully factor

By Stephen M. Paskoff, Eli Inc

It’s a question I hear almost every time I give a speech: How do I deal with this individual – the brilliant surgeon, top producing salesperson, or departmental leader – who is extremely competent but whose behavior is out of control? The person screams, publicly humiliates colleagues, throws things, you name it. No one wants to say anything because this valuable person might leave if someone tried to correct the behavior. Or, in some cases the person may have been sent to training, but HR is dismayed to see that the behavior hasn’t changed. They then ask me what additional training might do the trick.

It always surprises me that organizations continue to view this as a training issue rather than a competency issue. If every employee is expected to follow clear behavioral guidelines, then anyone who is unwilling or unable to do so is not meeting the competencies of the job. Think about other organizational competencies. If a manager could not perform his duties or a salesperson consistently missed her quota, leadership wouldn’t tolerate it.

So the real question lies in how we define competence in today’s workplace. In organizations where this behavior is allowed to continue unabated, the leadership has determined, whether overtly expressed or not, that interacting civilly isn’t part of the definition of job competence. deciding that the cost of allowing the behavior is less than the cost of dealing with it and potentially losing this “highly competent” individual, however, they’ve opened the door to great business harm.

While employees who have had to put up with the behavior have always known it, organizations have been slow to realize the true impact of bullying behavior. By damaging morale, interfering with teamwork, creating distractions that lead to errors or quality issues, driving talented people away, and tainting an organization’s reputation, abusive conduct can be as devastating to the business as poor sales, shoddy products, or ineffective strategy. Increasingly, though, heightened concern about the prevalence of workplace bullying and other subtler forms of unprofessional behavior is leading to more publicity and even potential legislation as individual U.S. states look to the examples of European countries’ anti-bullying laws.

For now, the challenge many HR professionals face is convincing leaders of the business risks, particularly in organizations and industries where bullying as a management style is indoctrinated into the culture, with the effect of breeding more of the same. But if HR can show that the conduct hinders excellence and quality, they can make the case that the organization must address it to protect the business’s assets.

If abuse or condescension has in any way been a success factor in achieving a certain type of job or status, then leaders need to draw the line in the sand and change the practice. In their own words, they need to be able to articulate why professional behavior is an element of professional competency and how it impacts the business mission. They must hold everyone – including each other – accountable to behavioral standards and make it clear that excellence, advancement, and tenure depend on respectful, values-driven conduct.

If leaders are unwilling to take action, then they must accept the fact that the organization’s behavioral standards will never be credible and its values will never truly take hold. For many in HR, this can be a disconcerting moment of truth about the organization for which they work. But if, on the other hand, leaders take substantive steps to prevent and address bullying behavior no matter who is involved, those actions will speak louder than any other messages they deliver. Everyone will understand that the values have purpose and the leadership stands behind them. Whether anti-bullying laws are ultimately passed or not, these organizations will be ahead of the game in retaining talented, productive individuals who can work together effectively to achieve the business mission.

Stephen M. Paskoff, Esq., is the founder and President of ELI, a training company that teaches professional workplace conduct, helping clients translate their values into behaviors, increase employee contribution, build respectful and inclusive cultures, and reduce legal and ethical risk. He pioneered the development of interactive, engaging training addressing fair employment issues by providing practical skills people can apply everyday at work. Paskoff, who is co-chair of the American Bar Association’s Compliance Training and Communication Committee, is a recognized speaker, author, and expert in helping companies build cultures that foster fairness, ethics, and integrity. Prior to establishing ELI in 1986, he was a trial attorney for the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and a partner in a management law firm. He is the author of the book “Teaching Big Shots to Behave and Other Human Resource Challenges.”