From what I have seen, workplace bullying isn’t necessarily done for its own sake — it simply becomes a person’s way of relating. Yet as I have found, the effect is toxic for all concerned, not simply the bully(ies) and the target(s). Do you agree?

P.S. As I mention in my free webinar, “Handling the 3 Most Difficult Office Personalities” (http://maestroconsultinggroup.com/speaking-engagements/), and this alludes to something you said on the HRBartender blog, “Anyone who thinks he can’t be replaced SHOULD be replaced.” Keep fighting the good fight!

For anyone interested in the topic of workplace bullying I wanted to offer up our educational website, http://www.NoWorkplaceBullies.com, a website run by Civility Partners. Employers will find lots of resources for dealing with a bully, as well as our whitepaper: How much does a workplace bully really cost?

Catherine Mattice,
President, Civility Partners
Your Partner in Building a Positive Workplace

I gave a presentation recently to a group of new IT professionals (most or all of them from India or China), and some of them were sharing with me during the break how hard it was to call older co-workers by their first names–because of how they had been raised.

I must have learned that growing up as well, because even though I teach at my alma mater (University of San Diego), I still have at least one former professor whom I can’t bring myself to call by his first name! I tried it once, and it just felt too odd for words.