When you are bullied in the workplace, the experience isn’t necessarily over when the bullying ends. The aftereffects can stay with you for months or years.
For example, when I started my career, I worked under an abusive manager who sought to undermine me. She saw me as a competitor for our boss’ praise and recognition, rather than an entry-level employee to develop and root for.
When I left that company for another, I was ill at ease for a long time. I avoided engaging with other employees unless they worked directly with me. I was mistrustful about the motivations and intent of the people I met at the new company.
Though I was kind and respectful, my lack of openness lessened the company’s culture.
The Wounds Employees Bring to their Jobs
An article last week in Forbes by Bryan Robinson, Ph.D., refers to such negative impact on a person as a “work wound.” Mine was still festering when I started my next job, but, fortunately, cleared up over time. The positive experiences of my new position helped the old wound to heal.
Sometimes, however, work wounds need to be proactively addressed, according to Bree Johnson, founder and CEO of Executive Unschool, who told Robinson that “these unaddressed work wounds perpetuate ongoing harm, loss of productivity, and unhealthy behaviors in the workplace.”
Johnson says work wounds are caused by the “3 B’s”: Bullying, Betrayal, and Bad Behavior. She explains that an unhealed work wound “leads to conflicts with colleagues, focus and productivity declines, and even lawsuits. But the most forward-thinking employers acknowledge work wounds and take proactive steps to mitigate them from happening in the first place.”
Healing Work Wounds
The healing process for work wounds can include immersive leadership programs, Johnson says. These programs allow managers and employees to understand the wounds that may be negatively impacting themselves and the company, and how they can change their own behavior to avoid inflicting such wounds on others or worsening existing wounds.
For instance, the manager who inflicted a wound on me likely was unaware that her behavior was damaging. Her own insecurities led her to view her entry-level employee as a competitor rather than a person to professionally nurture and encourage. An effective leadership program would delve into how a manager views those who work under them, and whether they focus on being supportive, rather than contentious.
Another way to help work wounds heal, or prevent them in the first place, is “nervous system regulation practices,” according to Johnson. Companies that take this approach, she says, “are not only addressing the symptoms of work wounds but are also proactively working to prevent them by fostering a culture of transparency, accountability, and psychological safety.”
The Importance of Acknowledging the Problem
Step one to helping a work wound heal is acknowledging the problem, Johnson notes. In my case, I tried to heal my work wound while it was still happening. When I took the problem to the person above both my manager and myself in the corporate hierarchy, I was told the problem was all in my imagination. I was told in a nice way that my observations and feelings were not accurate.
The correct approach for my boss to take would have been to call my manager into the office and have a conversation alone with her and then with both of us together. Then, my manager and I could have looked for ways to change our approach to working together.
In addition, Johnson recommends that companies invest in regulating practices in the workplace that focus on “mindfulness” and emotional intelligence in order to stop work wounds from happening in the first place.
She also advises that companies provide mental health resources to help employees deal with the wounds they already have and prevent additional ones. And she notes the importance of fostering a culture of empowerment. In an empowered culture, “employees are trusted, their ideas are valued, and their past experiences are acknowledged and respected.”
That means your employees aren’t told the wound is in their mind. Rather, their experience is taken seriously, and solutions are found to speed healing.
Do you think about the work wounds your employees bring to their jobs? How do you help those wounds heal and prevent the infliction of new ones?
