In Episode 107 I speak with author of "Vulture Cultures", Leanne Faraday-Brash, an expert in workplace justice. An approved media spokesperson for the College of Organizational Psychologists, Leanne troubleshoots complex grievances, mediates and investigates discrimination, harassment and workplace bullying.

TALKING POINTS

Q. What is bullying?

A. The definition of bullying in most countries is repeated unreasonable behavior that creates a risk to health and safety and that this could create a foreseeable risk to somebody's physical or psychological health.

If it's repeated behavior that's unreasonable and we could foresee that it would have some sort of damage to somebody physically emotionally or psychologically, then bullying has occurred.

Q. Do you have to stand up to a bully?

You don't have to actually stand up to the bully for the behavior to have been bullying.

So that in fact is one of the myths of bullying that there is an obligation on the target or the recipient of the behavior to stand up to the bully, for the behavior to have been bullying.

The age-old objection from the person accused of bullying is, “Well, how am I meant to know that that behavior upset them or offended them, because they didn't say anything?”

If bullying creates an unsafe environment, then it's not reasonable to say to someone who feels unsafe, that you have to stick up for yourself or you can expect that person to continue to target you."

So that is one of the myths of bullying, that there is an obligation on them to say something or they basically deserve what they get.

That is that is really flawed and, and offensive to most of us.

I always coach people to give feedback with the benefit of the doubt, “You may or may not have realized it, Mary; but when you cut me off like that and said that particular thing to me in the meeting, you really humiliated me in front of our peers and in front of our bosses. And I'm going to ask you never to do that again.”

If we can do that, that's great. But we don't have to have done that for it to be bullying if the person does it again.

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CONNECT WITH LEANNE FARADAY-BRASH

Website: https://brashconsulting.com.au/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leannefaradaybrash/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BrashConsulting

Book: Vulture Cultures

Connect with podcast host, Nina Sunday

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/ninasunday

Websites: https://www.brainpowertraining.com.au/signature-programs | https://www.ninasunday.com/

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