How to Confront a Workplace Bully | 8 Tips to Address Bad Behavior
Crucial Skills | Management & AccountabilityShow Notes
Why do we put up with bullies at work? And how do we stop letting it happen?
Brittney Maxfield, Sr. Director of Growth Marketing at Crucial Learning, breaks down a listener question about workplace bullying and why so many people choose to cope rather than confront. She explores the emotional and business costs of workplace bullying, why so many people choose to cope rather than confront, and how silence can allow unhealthy patterns to continue. Brittney unpacks research on how widespread workplace bullying is and explains why there can be a third option beyond simply putting up with the behavior or leaving: dialogue.
She then walks through an eight-step framework for addressing bullying behavior through candid, respectful dialogue. These eight steps offer a practical way to prepare for the conversation, focus on observable behavior, and work toward accountability without relying on accusations or inflammatory labels. This conversation is for anyone dealing with a difficult boss or coworker, or anyone who wants to handle workplace conflict more directly and constructively.
Chapters [Start] Dealing With a Workplace Bully: Brittney responds to a listener facing a difficult situation with their manager. 01:11 A Third Option: What to consider before deciding whether and how to speak up. 02:01 The Cost of Workplace Bullying: What Crucial Learning's research reveals about bullying at work. 03:10 Why We Avoid Confrontation: Why staying silent can feel safer—and what that can mean over time. 03:37 Eight Steps for Speaking Up: A practical framework for approaching bullying behavior with greater clarity and accountability.
Links and ResourcesCrucial Learning Why Do We Put Up with Bullies? From Avoidance to Accountability | Crucial Learning Blog Crucial Conversations ® for Accountability (course) Learn more about Brittney Maxfield here.
The Crucial Skills Podcast is brought to you by the authors and experts at Crucial Learning, home of Crucial Conversations for Mastering Dialogue and Crucial Conversations for Accountability training.
More from Crucial Skills | Management & Accountability
Psychological safety has become a workplace buzzword. But when someone says, “I don't feel safe,” does that always mean there's a problem with psychological safety—or are we confusing safety with comfort?
Few situations test our communication skills like a teenager who stops listening and starts pulling away.
What if having too much to do isn't actually the reason you feel overwhelmed?
Have you ever had a boss who talks about psychological safety but still makes you feel tense when you’re around them?
Avoiding a Crucial Conversation can come with both a price and a cost. But what’s the difference between the two?