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Top FTSE Firms Call in the Bully Police

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Employers are looking for new ways to make sure their stressed-out employees get along in the recession. That’s according to a leading communication coaching specialist.

“We have been getting increasing numbers of enquiries from companies needing to address bullying bosses,” says Julia Goodman, founder of Personal Presentation. "We have been approached by three FTSE 10 companies in recent months with the agenda of ‘sorting’ a certain person out. Very often that person is in senior management and is very good at their job, but their colleagues or staff view them as a bully and companies are getting increasingly concerned about being taken to court. This is especially true right now, with employees facing the prospect of redundancies looking to cash in by claiming they have been bullied.”

Personal Presentation’s You Brand programme shows people how to be themselves in the workplace without having to hide behind bullying - or bullied - facades. Goodman says even the most ferocious bullies can be turned around if shown how they impact upon others.

“Most of the time they are under enormous pressure,” says Goodman, “but it is vital that companies and employees act against the bullying trend if they want to hang on to staff, avoid negative publicity and survive the economic downturn.”

Are you the office bully? Three key signs to look out for

1. You are quiet and non-communicative, leaving your thoughts open to general interpretation. “This could be seen as being judgemental, moody, rude or cold,” says Goodman.
2. You bark orders without explaining the reasons. Communicating your motives and intentions to your staff will mean they respond better. If people don’t understand why something is being asked of them or are unable to question, they may feel belittled. This could lead to people feeling angry or resentful, and not doing the job properly.
3. You take up most of the room in a conversation. Do you give your staff the chance to explain themselves? If you are dominating the dialogue, the other person will feel intimidated or resentful in some form or another.

How to deal with a bully

1. Recognise that a bully’s behaviour is probably the opposite of how they really feel. An aggressive manager may well be hiding a frightened interior.
2. Don’t seek approval. If possible, find out where this behaviour is coming from and accept that it probably has nothing to do with you. Do what you are asked, and do it well.
3. Check in with your feelings and articulate them. It is your responsibility to be visible and challenge bad behaviour - in a calm, controlled and considered fashion.

Personal Presentation’s You Brand coaching methodology uses tools drawn from the world of professional acting and communication in tandem with psychological interventions. The company was founded 20 years ago by well-known professional actress Julia Goodman, who runs courses with a team of fully-trained coaches with professional acting backgrounds. The full You Brand programme lasts four days and is spread over several weeks, although there are other bespoke programmes that can take place in one or two days.