Coming to a new team, everyone runs the risk of not fitting into his current life according to certain rules, thereby causing a negative attitude towards his colleagues and superiors. It’s good if you can immediately understand your mistakes and correct them, but if the confrontation that has begun, for various reasons, goes too far, the new employee may be a victim of general dislike, contempt, ridicule, as well as minor and major dirty tricks. This phenomenon in psychology is called mobbing. What is it and how to resist it, we will discuss in detail later in the article.
Differences between Mobbing and Work Conflicts
First of all, you need to understand exactly how mobbing differs from ordinary squabbles, not uncommon in any team. For example, when the boss reports that he is sloppy, because you forgot to send documents somewhere, and then he comes in from his secretary, who reminded you of this assignment several times, then this is not bullying, but a reaction to your disorder.
But if you come to work, for example, you regularly hear the phrase from colleagues: “Oh, he came, and we thought we got under the car and, finally, saved us from our society!” or you find that your computer has erased important files, documents are mixed, and fragments of your favorite cup, etc., are lying on the table, then most likely you are a victim of mobbing.
In some groups, such a disgusting phenomenon may occur in relations between individual people. For example, the boss pushes one of his subordinates, showing seemingly unjustified hostility. This psychological phenomenon is called "bullying."
What can trigger mobbing
So, bullying and mobbing - what is it? What provokes them? As it turns out, most often the causes of these phenomena are quite understandable, and one of them may be elementary envy.
Imagine for a moment - in a team where the youngest employee has long exceeded forty, a young, full of energy and energy worker comes. It is understandable that he will not be accepted immediately with open arms. And his youth, and health, and the ability to easily make a career will arouse envy among the “mossy” colleagues who have sat in their seats.
And if among the employees a company of people who have long dreamed, but who have not managed to climb the career ladder, is selected, then they can go the easier way to satisfy their personal ambitions: to try to completely subordinate one of their colleagues to themselves. The weakest person is usually chosen as the object, and the process of his persecution allows the villains to feel significant persons.
Mobbing is a sign of idleness
In teams with improperly organized and distributed responsibilities of employees, mobbing also occurs very often. At work, where people are simply struggling with doing nothing and looking for any opportunity to kill time, this phenomenon turns out to be something that can take them, stir up and make existence meaningful.
In such conditions, any workaholic can be an outcast. “Do you need more than anyone? Why are you serving your boss? ” - these are the arguments of general discontent. By the way, groups that are particularly vulnerable to this phenomenon are impossible to advance in a career if you are not a boss favorite.
Reasons for Mobbing
The reason for mobbing can be fierce competition. As a rule, in this case, the victim is not even particularly hostile, it just turns out to be at some point an obstacle to the desired position or salary.
It is also important to know that mobbing at work most often turns out to be aimed at people with a certain character. As the researchers drew attention, its victims, as a rule, are whiners, weak and notorious personalities, as well as standing out against the general background (the so-called white crows), gloomy and unsociable or strange loners. All of them are capable of causing irritation and desire among colleagues and bosses to crush and humiliate.
Once again about who may become a victim of mobbing
About people who are under psychological pressure, you need to tell more, since, by and large, anyone can be in the place of the victim of mobbing. And, by the way, in contrast to bullying in the army or bullying a classmate at school, when the goal is usually to conquer the victim and make her weak-willed, mobbing is applied to those whom they want to get rid of, to force them to quit.
The mobbing in the team can manifest itself to both beginners, something dangerous for old-timers, and competent experienced workers, forcing their colleagues to suffer from an inferiority complex.
Pets of bosses will be persecuted out of envy, and bosses of a low rank will be tried to "squeeze out" to put in their place more "convenient" and accommodating. Quite often, arrogant, too arrogant and arrogant employees (the victim is by no means always an angel) are mobbed because of a general hostility to their personality or people who rejected the proposed friendship, and sometimes the reason is sexual harassment by the bosses (as a rule, this applies already to bullying).
How does mobbing develop
Regardless of where mobbing develops (at school or in the office), it goes through several phases. And the basis for the emergence of this psychological phenomenon is, as a rule, an unhealthy climate in the team, which is fueled by high emotional tension. This cannot last long, so the team members unconsciously look for the “guilty”, who always turns out to be someone who causes general irritation (we have already talked about the victim’s personality).
To the address of the chosen "scapegoat" ridicule and mockery begin to pour in. Over time, this becomes not enough, and employees or classmates who are keen on the process of bullying are already trying their best to humiliate the victim, creating a vacuum around her in the form of lack of communication and support, which, of course, cannot but affect the performance of work duties.
The latter, in turn, causes discontent among the authorities, especially if they are not very interested in the lives of their subordinates. As a result of this, the victim of mobbing has to leave the team.
Varieties of Mobbing
In psychology, two types of called pressure are distinguished: the so-called white and black. Although it is clear that the essence of mobbing does not depend on what “color” it is - under any conditions, it remains a sign of unhealthy, and often simply sadistic, inclinations of certain people.
"White" (latent) mobbing appears stealthily. Pressure, as a rule, is hidden, and employees diligently reject themselves from any unseemly acts. They emphasize that a person who feels like a victim is simply too touchy and suspicious.
By the way, such behavior is very insidious, as it forces one who comes under pressure to constantly doubt his professional and personal qualities and to no avail try to establish relations with colleagues.
Black mobbing is an open conflict. At the same time, Mobber makes it clear to the victim that she did not please something, and directly reports that this employee has no place in the team. The others support him in this.
Mobbing Tools
Mobbing and bullying (the essence and methods of opposition we consider in this article) are manifested in a specific set of bullying tools.
Most often this is a boycott, as a result of which the employee becomes simply invisible to his colleagues: no one talks to him, he does not share news, he is not called to corporate parties and they ignore his presence in every way.
Often unjustified nit-picking is applied to the victim. This behavior is especially characteristic of the boss in relation to the victim-subordinate.
For beginners, weapons such as misinformation are often used. For example, if an experienced employee who was instructed to take patronage of a new one feels an obvious rival in the latter, he can intentionally distort some information and cause discontent among his superiors with the professional level of the newly adopted one, up to his dismissal.
The victim of mobbing can be spoiled by personal belongings, and those for which she is financially liable, and in some cases even use health-threatening methods (a laxative in tea or a tripping - but you never know what the villain has enough imagination for!).
What should be done in order not to undergo mobbing
In order to avoid a possible conflict at a new job, you should immediately follow a set of certain rules:
- No need to brag. The successes and obvious advantages of one of the employees can greatly annoy the team. Envy, as you know, is able to push people to the most unpleasant actions, so do not wake it: do not boast of a rich fan, a luxuriously spent vacation, a car received as a gift, etc.
- Try to quickly adopt the laws by which this team lives. In any community that has existed long enough, the appearance of a kind of corporate charter is inevitable, to which all its members obey. A person who ignores it (holding parties together, a ban on makeup at the workplace, treats in honor of his birthday or other family celebrations, etc.) runs the risk of provoking a negative attitude of colleagues and even the boss.
Decent behavior is a way to avoid mobbing
The above rules can be supplemented with a few more points that will prevent mobbing:
- In an organization, it is very important for a newcomer to immediately identify its informal leader in order to enlist his support.
- One must be restrained in statements: not to humiliate colleagues and not gossip about them.
- Do not react and do not be offended by sharp comments.
- To be friendly and welcoming with everyone, but not to fawn or humiliate oneself.
- Do not allow to humiliate yourself, as in any team they do not like the unrequited and weak.
- Try to talk honestly with your offender, but it’s important to be calm and not to go on insults. The question asked in the forehead: "Did you not like me with something?" makes it clear to the mobber that you understand the situation and are not going to be silent.
The consequences of mobbing
All of the tips listed above should help to avoid, or at least minimize, a conflict situation. And this is very important, since mobbing and bullying have very serious consequences for those who have been persecuted. Like other types of violence, those mentioned cannot go unnoticed: in Europe, for example, it was estimated that 10% of people who were pressured at work ended up committing suicide.
Many victims, on the basis of constant stress, develop insomnia, neurotic conditions appear and immunity weakens, which, of course, cannot but affect the ability to perform their work duties.
How to behave the victim of mobbing
You probably understood from the materials of the article where we discussed mobbing, what it is - a manifestation of collective psychology, which can lead to very serious consequences. Therefore, if the simple way to avoid bullying - dismissal - is unacceptable, and the victim really appreciates his place of work, she needs to make every effort to make the named role short-lived:
- First of all, this situation should be considered as an opportunity to train to identify your weaknesses and strengthen character traits that help withstand stress.
- The victim should try to give a damn about attacks if they are harmless enough, and this can bring results. Mobber, finding that he was unable to hurt the victim, would give up his attempts.
- You can always assemble a team of like-minded people, capable of adequately resisting the tyrant.
- Find a patron who can protect against attacks.
- Contact a psychologist.
And most importantly - you need to learn to laugh at yourself and at the mobber, who at any moment can take the place of the victim (and no one knows how he will cope with this situation!).
A few words in the end
Emotional violence at work is a phenomenon that severely affects not only the victim, but the whole team. Indeed, in it they can no longer fully surrender to their duties - the interests and attention of people now turn out to be directed to another.
Therefore, managers should pay particular attention to creating a normal working atmosphere among subordinates, making sure that conflicts arise are resolved quickly and fairly. Only such an approach will not allow employees to learn from their bitter experience how cruel mobbing is, what it is.