Harriett was the office bully; she has been in her company for many years and she ran the pack. The office had its pecking order and Harriett was on top.
She had no seniority title or better knowledge about the workings of the company; she was just an ordinary office worker like all the other members of staff. She was however, very skilled at bullying and intimidating people, especially newcomers to the company. She also had her deputy bully and her assistant bully.
She was very friendly with the manager because they were old friends and went back a long way. She would often be left in charge of the office (and staff) in the manager’s absence, so it was accepted that Harriett could do no wrong.
One day a new member of staff arrived; a young woman named Claudia. She was indeed a ‘new broom’ in the office; well dressed, confident and it was as if she had her own bubble around her. She was polite and courteous to everyone (because that was how she was brought up). She minded her own business and got on with her work with singularity of mind. And, as was expected because she was new, she did not understand the hierarchy in the office. So, Harriett had to let Claudia know her place in the pecking order, which was at the bottom.
Once Harriett gave the command, Claudia’s ‘training’ began; she was subjected to isolation, and on two occasions was invited out with the girls only to be totally ignored at the dinner table all evening. They simply refused to acknowledge her presence and if she spoke and/or tried to join in, no one responded.
There were continuous direct and unwarranted comments about her attire until Claudia was apprehensive about wearing anything new for fear of reprisals. If any senior member came to the office, Harriett would introduce everyone except Claudia; she was blatantly ignored. She was excluded from office emails so she was never in the loop about what was going on in the office; it made her seem incompetent and/or inefficient which only fuelled the unkind comments that was circulating about her.
Claudia also endured constant carping about her work. She could do nothing right. She was not allowed to speak to or befriend anyone in the office unless it was agreed by Harriett which in most instances, was not.
The bullying went on for many months and after untold series of events; Claudia became worn down and simply did not understand why she was being psychologically attacked. She was however, aware that Harriett was the office ‘bully master.’ Claudia wondered why Harriett behaved in such a manner and why others followed her.
She decided to do something about it and discussed the bullying to her Manager but it only made the attack worse; in that it became covert and with a vengeance.
Then, one day, per chance, Claudia entered the office unseen by Harriett and the others and stumbled upon their conversation. Claudia decided to remain behind some cabinets and listened:-
“……..you’re a bully Harriett. One of her colleagues commented.
“I know; I can’t help it.” She replied.
“My father left us when I was young and my mum struggled. She used to leave me with anyone and go off for the day or the evening. I never knew who she was with; she would leave me with from one day to the next. As I grew up I felt I had to be in charge and in control of any and every situation so that I would know where I am in my life.”
At that moment, Claudia understood Harriett; it all made sense to her now.
No one knew that Claudia was listening behind the cabinets and after that incident, Claudia made a conscious effort; rather than to react to the situation, she engaged fully in conversation with Harriett, to get to know and understand her better and they soon got on well. Harriett began to feel more safe and secure. And she would even confide in Claudia on certain personal matters. Needless to say, they became friends; the bullying stopped and Claudia got her working life back and began enjoying her work environment again.
Although Claudia changed the state of affairs in the office, she did not change who she was nor did she accept any pecking order or joined in bullying other members of staff. She talked to whom she liked and continued as she had when she started; getting on with her work and being courteous to everyone. The difference was that Harriett left Claudia alone because she no longer felt insecure by her presence anymore.
I hope you enjoyed the story; why not set yourself a goal and get to know what makes your bully tick. You’d be surprised, that once you learn their nature, you can empower yourself, your bully and change the story.
Best Regards
D. A. Martin
Bestseller Author of Broken Oath
http://www.doramartin.tel
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Broken-Oath-D-A-Martin/dp/1291517537/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1385064589&sr=8-1&keywords=Broken+oath
http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/10613721/broken-oath
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dora-The-Author-Books/657344564284562
http://youtu.be/5hN3aLIpFFA
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