What Challenging Workplace Behavior Are You Dealing with in the New Year?

For the past year, Conflict Connections and MH Mediate have been developing a set of resources to help people address the ten toughest behaviors at work – everything from gossip to bullying, harassment, and hostile work environments.  Our Challenging Workplace Behavior Summit featured 10 top global experts brought together over 250 conflict and human resources practitioners and yielded the definitive toolkit for challenging behaviors at work.

All resources are designed to be extremely actionable – for each behavior we hosted two 15-20 minute programs, the first explaining the behavior and the second sharing strategies and solutions.  For each behavior we also put together a one-page summary (definition, impact, solutions, key quote), a full set of program notes, and a take-away tool.  
The take-away tools include:

• Engaging Passive Aggression Without Losing Your Cool (Tip sheet)
  
• Diffusing Verbal Attacks (Checklist)
  
• Preventing Hostile Work Environments (Checklist)
  
• Escaping and Reframing Workplace Gossip (Talking Points)
  
• Overcoming Time-Sucking Interruptions (Checklist)
  
• Responding to Gender-Based Violence (Tip sheet)
  
• Preventing and Overcoming Workplace Bullying (Tip sheet)
  
• Stopping and Balancing Criticism (Talking Points)
  
• Responding to Workplace Incivility (Checklist)
  
• 5 Steps to a Deliberate, Non-Impulsive Reaction (Infographic Framework)

Because we value Conflict Connections subscribers,we’re offering a discounted rate for the All Access Pass to these programs.  Instead of paying $297, if you use coupon “NewYearSpecial” you can pay just  $149 – that’s 50% off!  Discount ends on Wednesday, January 9th.

Visit https://www.workbehavior.us/register/all-access-pass/?coupon=NewYearSpecial to go directly to the checkout page with the coupon already applied.  You will be able to create an account, pay by PayPal (use any major credit card, no account required), and get immediate access to the All Access Pass content.

Take a look at our 10 behaviors and experts below:

Workplace Incivility

Sharone Bar-David, workplace incivility expert and the author of Trust Your Canary: Every Leader’s Guide to Taming Workplace Incivility, defines incivility at work and shares frameworks for managing these situations.

Passive Aggression

Signe Whitson, trainer and author of The Angry Smile: The New Psychological Study of Passive-Aggressive Behavior, introduces passive aggressive behaviors in the workplace and teaches techniques for overcoming them.

Workplace Bullying

Catherine Mattice Zundel, a founder of the National Workplace Bullying Coalition and the author of BACK OFF! Your Kick-Ass Guide to Ending Bullying at Work, explains what constitutes bullying at work and offers steps for victims, bystanders, and managers.

Non-Stop Criticism

Krister Ungerboeck, CEO Coach and former CEO of a global tech company, explains when criticism becomes a problem and shares powerful solutions.

Verbal Attacks

Luke Archer, the founder of Verbal Akido, defines verbal attacks and teaches akido-inspired tactics for diffusing them.

Hostile Work Environments

Rodney Klein, Training Manager at the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), clarifies the legal definition of hostile work environments and shares ways to both prevent and respond to them.

Gender-Based Violence

Sheerine Alemzadeh, co-founder of the Coalition Against Workplace Sexual Violence and co-founder of Healing to Action, explains gender-based violence and suggests ways to proactively address it.

Workplace Gossip

Peter Vajda, writer for Management Issues and coach at True North Partnering, defines workplace gossip and offers strategies to manage it.

Time-Sucking Interruptions

Helene Segura, author of The Inefficiency Assassin, outlines different kinds of time-sucking interruptions that reduce productivity at work and shares solutions to overcome them.

Impulsive Reactions

Dan Berstein, developer of MH Mediate’s Ready for Anything framework for addressing challenging behaviors, explains why we sometimes mistakenly act on gut feelings and how we can plan ahead instead.

Where do I go to purchase the All Access Pass?
The pass normally costs $297 but Conflict Connections subscribers can get a 50% discount, $148 off, if they use the coupon “NewYearSpecial” and purchase by Wednesday, January 9th.  Visit https://www.workbehavior.us/register/all-access-pass/?coupon=NewYearSpecial to go directly to the checkout page with the coupon already applied.  You will be able to create an account, pay by PayPal (use any major credit card, no account required), and get immediate access to the All Access Pass content.  

If you’d like to read a bit more about the summit and experts, visit www.workbehavior.us – remember you’ll need to apply the NewYearSpecial coupon yourself to get the discount unless you use the longer direct link above.

Challenging Workplace Behavior Toolkit

Before Thanksgiving we launched the Challenging Workplace Behavior Summit. Over 250 professionals participated to learn from our 10 top global experts, resulting in a complete toolkit for the ten toughest behaviors at work:

• Workplace Incivility
• Passive Aggression
• Workplace Bullying
• Non-Stop Criticism
• Verbal Attacks
• Hostile Work Environments
• Gender-Based Violence including Sexual Harassment
• Workplace Gossip
• Time-Sucking Interruptions
• Impulsive Reactions

What tools are included in the Summit Toolkit?

Each behavior includes two 15-20 minute video interview programs, the first focused on understanding it and the second focused on strategies to address it.  We also provide program notes (edited transcripts), behavior summaries (one-page quick-reference guides defining each behavior, explaining its impact, summarizing solutions, and including a key quote from the program), actionable take-away tools, and bonus items.
After accessing these resources, participants can:

• Understand the definitions, signs, and impact of challenging behaviors at work
• Be Equipped with tools to manage and respond to the ten toughest behaviors at work
• Feel Empowered in the face of challenging behaviors
• Access Quick References to review summaries of the behaviors

How can I access the Summit Toolkit?

All toolkit items are available with the purchase of a single All Access Pass that allows an individual user to access them on-demand whenever they’d like for an entire year.  We’re giving Conflict Connections subscribers a 50% discount ending Wednesday, January 9th.  Scroll to the bottom of this e-mail to get the coupon, or keep reading to see what people are saying about the programs and the All Access Pass!
What are people saying about the Individual Behavior Programs?

• “This provided great insight as well as tools to equip me as a manager  This was very helpful, especially with a specific step-wise process for addressing passive aggressive behavior at work.”
  (Passive Aggression)
• “I will be using the suggestion to offer ‘two minutes right now, or ten minutes in an hour’ right away!” 
  (Time-Sucking Interruptions)
• “Excellent discussion. Great infographic and very useful examples discussed during the presentation. Thanks.”
  (Impulsive Reactions)
• “This was excellent. Such a pervasive problem and the presenter provided great examples of strategies to address the issue.”
  (Workplace Gossip)
• “This was a great topic…had lots of good info about the differences between ‘illegal’ hostile environment vs. toxic and/or destructive work environment, ‘the gateway drug.'”
  (Hostile Work Environments)
• “Simple and effective technique for managing verbal attacks. Nice three-step approach. Explained well.”
  (Verbal Attacks)
• “Great speaker, great topic. Essential tools provided for changing negative behaviors and providing positive feedback.”
  (Non-Stop Criticism)
• “Very affirming to hear of the need to address incivility even if it is being experienced by a ‘velcro’ personality. Critical for hr/admin to understand that behaviors will escalate if not addressed.”(Workplace Incivility)
• “All three programs I tried today were really helpful. Thank you!” 
  (Workplace Incivility, Passive Aggression, and Workplace Bullying)

What are people saying about the Toolkit as a whole?

• “Just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed and learned from the summit programs.  I thought the format was great, with a sensitive moderator bringing out the nuggets of wisdom provided by the insightful and informative speakers. I also appreciated how you broke the presentations into two parts, one delineating the ‘issue’ and one focused on strategies to address it.  I will continue to listen and learn.”
• “I’m just reading through the materials now…they are very helpful and I’m enjoying the format of the material. Well done! “
• “The resources are great…thanks so much!”
• “The videos are very informative, and have already introduced quite a number of ideas and insights I had not considered previously.”

Where do I go to purchase the All Access Pass?
The pass normally costs $297 but Conflict Connections subscribers can get a 50% discount, $148 off, if they use the coupon “NewYearSpecial” and purchase by Wednesday, January 9th.  Visit https://www.workbehavior.us/register/all-access-pass/?coupon=NewYearSpecial to go directly to the checkout page with the coupon already applied.  You will be able to create an account, pay by PayPal (use any major credit card, no account required), and get immediate access to the All Access Pass content.  If you’d like to read a bit more about the summit and experts, visit www.workbehavior.us – remember you’ll need to apply the NewYearSpecial coupon yourself to get the discount unless you use the longer direct link above.

Free Expert Interviews for the 10 Toughest Behaviors at Work – Challenging Workplace Behavior Summit

Whether it’s gossip, harassment, or time-sucking interruptions we have all encountered challenging behaviors in the workplace.  Have you ever wished you knew what to do when they happened?

If you’re like us, the answer is yes.  That’s why we spent a year finding ten top global experts to help us understand and manage the ten toughest behaviors at work.  Register now for free access to the Challenging Workplace Behavior Summit to watch our interviews. The summit launches on Tuesday, November 13th and it covers:

• Workplace Bullying

• Gender-Based Violence

• Workplace Incivility

• Verbal Attacks

• Workplace Gossip

• Non-Stop Criticism

• Time-Sucking Interruptions

• Hostile Work Environments

• Passive Aggression

• Impulsive Reactions

Each day, we’ll share action-oriented expert interviews about these challenging workplace behaviors.  Part 1 of every interview focuses on understanding the behavior. Part 2 is all about strategies.

Register for free at www.workbehavior.us/register – all it takes is your e-mail address and we’ll let you know when the programs go live.

Are You a Target of Workplace Bullying? The Dos and Don’ts

In my prior blog post,  Understanding Workplace Bullying: Are you a member of the 28% of Americans who are not aware of workplace bullying?, I provided insight on how to identify bullying in the workplace and its effects on employees.  Through my research, I found many articles suggesting what one might do if this occurs to them or if they witness such an event.  Various articles suggested jotting down each instance as it occurs, evaluating the situation before speaking up, confronting the individual demonstrating bully behaviors, evaluating what you might be doing to provoke the co-worker, rallying witnesses, etc.  Expert or not, your gut instinct might provide insight on some of the dos and don’ts of the situation.

By following these suggestions, you are empowered to take action and give yourself tools to manage the stress. By reaching out to those in authority, you are allowing the situation to be handled by an individual trained to handle workplace conflict and bullying behaviors. You are also passing the confident message that your voice will be heard without allowing the situation to get the best of you.

When taking the situation to a third party source, have a detailed notebook that includes: notes of the instance(s) as they occurred, time/place of occurrence, who was there or might have overheard the bullying behavior, and what was said or done.  Providing this information at the minimum will help your supervisor, human resource personnel, or Ombuds to more efficiently research and examine your claims. For additional information on what to do, visit workplacebullying.org.

If you are a witness to workplace bullying, encourage the target to confide in a Supervisor, Human Resource personnel, or Ombuds. You can also offer to help write up the incident you witnessed, and be a listening ear.  Hopefully these tips will help put a stop to workplace bullying.  For additional information on bullying/being a bystander, listen to Dr. Maureen Scully’s talk on Workplace Witnesses: How Bystanders Can Become Essential Allies in Tense Situations.

By Yvette Watson Jenkins

Graduate Student, University of Baltimore – Negotiation and Conflict Management Program

Understanding Workplace Bullying

Are you a member of the 28% of Americans who are not aware of workplace bullying?

 Do you know the signs of workplace bullying? Are you aware of the effect workplace bullying has on its target the workplace, or those who witness? Your questions to workplace bullying are answered here!

Workplace bullying takes place between one person or a group of people who single out another to taunt, harass, make fun of etc.  in the workplace. The key to identifying workplace bullying is that it is persistent and enduring over a period of months. This type of behavior can cause the individuals witnessing such behaviors to feel uncomfortable.  According to workplacebullying.org 27% of Americans have suffered abusive conduct at work.  This is an alarming number.  To prevent this number from increasing and to raise awareness, bullyingstatistics.org provides some ways to identify bullying:

Workplace bullying can take many forms:

• Shouting or swearing at an employee or otherwise verbally abusing him or her
• One employee being singled out for unjustified criticism or blame
• An employee being excluded from company activities or having his or her work or contributions purposefully ignored
• Language or actions that embarrass or humiliate an employee
• Practical jokes, especially if they occur repeatedly to the same person

There are also some things that are usually Not considered workplace bullying:

·       A manager who shouts at or criticizes all of his or her employees. While this is a sign of a bad manager and makes a workplace unpleasant, it is not bullying unless only one or a few individuals are being unjustifiably singled out.

·        A co-worker who is critical of everything, always takes credit for successes and passes blame for mistakes, and/or frequently makes hurtful comments or jokes about others. Unless these actions are directed at one individual, they represent poor social skills, but not bullying.

·        Negative comments or actions that are based on a person’s gender, ethnicity, religion, or other legally protected status. This is considered harassment and, unlike bullying, is illegal in the United States and gives the victim legal rights to stop the behavior.

Workplace bullying can have serious negative effects on employees such as:

• Stress
• Absenteeism and low productivity
• Lowered self-esteem and depression
• Anxiety
• Digestive upsets
• High blood pressure
• Insomnia
• Isolation from co-workers
• Trouble with relationships due to stress over work
• Post traumatic stress disorder

Workplace bullying is a very serious matter and should not be taken lightly. Pay attention to the signs and the effects and be sure to educate those who are unaware to keeps the 28% number from increasing.  

Stayed tuned for next week’s blog for tips on what to do if you witness or become a target of workplace bullying.

By Yvette Watson Jenkins

Graduate Student

University of Baltimore – Negotiation and Conflict Management Program

Everything you always wanted to know about workplace bullying but were afraid to ask

It seems bullying is everywhere.  We are actively addressing it in schools, in communities, and in families…and now also workplaces.   Over the past several years, there has been a  deluge of information about workplace bullying, some accurate and some not so much. In order to effectively address bullying, we need to ensure we have valid and reliable information.   In this program, we will put on our researcher hats and examine what we know empirically  about workplace bullying in terms of its prevalence, nature, antecedents, and consequences.

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Bullying: An Elephant in the Classroom

Bullying: An elephant in the classroom focuses on the chaos and mayhem exposed in one Texas school district. Teachers complain of abusive, fearful, and chaotic classrooms that interfere with educating students. They are the targets of bullying by their co-workers and/or school administrators. They are faced with dealing with the elephant in the classroom.  Dr. Esque L. Walker will join us and inform us of how ineffective policies and programs to address school or workplace bullying can have dire consequences. She will share the lessons learned.

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The Kevin Morrissey Story: When Work Equals Life

Join us as we discuss with Maria Morrissey workplace bullying and the role it played in her brother’s suicide: Kevin Morrissey was a 52 year old Managing Editor of the Virginia Quarterly Review, an award-winning literary journal at the University of Virginia since 2003. On July 30, 2010 shortly after 11:00 a.m., Kevin Morrissey took his own life at the coal tower. He left his apartment, walked down Water Street and called the police to report a shooting at the coal tower, a shooting that actually came shortly thereafter.

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The Importance of Fairness in Workplace Conflict Management

Can workplace conflict be managed simply through mediation, conflict coaching and the various other methods proposed by consultants? And what is the purpose of these methods? Is it to manage conflict? Or is it something that runs much deeper? This talk explores the importance of understanding workplace fairness in managing conflict. We will explore short, medium and long-term effects of unfairness in the workplace and discuss how to move from a culture of unfairness to a culture of fairness in the workplace.

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What Targets of Abrasive Behaviors and Workplace Bullying Must Know about These Behaviors

Most information about Workplace Abrasive Behaviors and Bullying focuses on simple models of bullying and simple advice for targets. But simple models don’t help because they encourage defensiveness, powerlessness, and more abuse.

Join us as we talk with Kathleen Bartle, PCC. She has uses proven best practices, the wisdom of scientific research and coaching skills to help those embroiled in abrasive and bullying behaviors. For over 20 years Kathleen brand of Discerning & Compassionate Conflict Coaching has guided thousands of people to reduce tensions and conflict in the workplace.

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