Don’t be a bully!

There has been a lot of talk recently about bullying tactics in and around work, and specifically with regards to recent unfortunate incidents in Broad Street.

Bullying in any form is something that really grates with me having suffered for a short time when at school, and having witnessed other incidents of bullying since then.

Bullying comes in many forms and can actually be worse when it is verbal rather than physical. In its mildest forms it can be name-calling but can then escalate to coercive control and horrible mind-games.

On this topic I enjoyed the article in Saturday's JEP by Joanna Reid Rodrigues, and agree wholeheartedly with her comment that, 'We have a duty to stand up to bullies in the workplace, and wherever else we might encounter them'.

It further struck a chord with me her closing comment that 'people who are angry or deceitful are fighting an inner battle of their own' and the subsequent quote by Yogi Bhajan - "If you are willing to look at another person's behaviour toward you as a reflection of the state of their relationship with themselves, rather than a statement about your value as a person, then you will, over a period of time, cease to react at all."

In closing I would advocate that if you don't like doing something and if somebody or something makes you unhappy at work then you are better to hold your head high and walk away, and I applaud others who do just that. Money isn't the be-all and end-all of life.

Being honest with yourself, hardworking and kind to others carries far more value in the long run.

If you read this and are having a hard time then feel free to get in touch and I’ll do what I can to help.