No One Is Invisible (or Invincible or Indispensable)
You’ve probably heard about the book The No A**hole Rule: Building a Civilized Workplace and Surviving One That Isn’t by Bob Sutton. I find his “Dirty Dozen” list particularly interesting. It highlights the actions that workplace jerks commonly employ to make others feel bad.
The last one on the list is “Treating people as if they are invisble.” I’ll admit that I’ve tried to sit still and be invisible when I know someone (or my dogs) want something from me, but that doesn’t make the other person feel bad — it just makes me look silly. But truly, isn’t this one of the worst things you can experience? Someone (a jerk) intentionally making you feel like you don’t exist? Aren’t we all grown-ups here?
And with more and more diversity in the workplace — be it gender, race, age or anything else — there is added potential for jerks to rear their heads and cause conflict. Those jerks may want to start changing their ways. Not only is no one invisible, but as books like Sutton’s demonstrate, there is an ever-heightening sense of the issue. Companies won’t tolerate jerks because they are bad for business.
On Sutton’s blog, he lists his Latest Tips for Surviving Workplace A**holes. Note the first bit of advice: escape if you possibly can. There is a talent crunch facing employers in many industries, so what company in its right mind wants to lose the talented many for the sake of one (even if he or she is talented, too)? Jerks take note: you are neither invincible nor indispensable.
Non-jerks, please speak out. What do you think are some of the worst offenses of workplace bullies?
January 15th, 2008 at 7:45 am
You present an interesting perspective. While bullying is not publicly condoned anywhere except on the sports field or in the courtroom, it goes on and is allowed to flourish in business. Management at many levels occasionally winks or ignores the events in the hope it will go away. I have seen this lack of social responsibility manifested at many reputable businesses, both large & small. Some of the worst offenses I have seen are the manager standing over an employee, trapped in a cubicle, and reaming that person verbally while in the presence of all the other related colleagues. When the bullying behavior was reported to directors and H.R on multiple occasions, nothing was done and the offending behavior was allowed to continue. The bullied employees eventually escaped and were not replaced. So, one can assume that the bullying was/is condoned behavior.