Dear Dr. Mimi: Bad Bully

Dear Dr. Mimi-
I manage several employees. Recently I’ve been encountering problems with one of my employees harassing and bullying my other workers. I’ve received complaints from multiple people that he is being overly critical and aggressively domineering about their performance. How do I mitigate this situation and create a healthy work place environment for my employees again?
– Bully’s Boss

Dear Boss-
If you are hearing this from more than one person, there is probably some truth that your employee is doing some bullying. Call him in and ask him about the complaints. Share with him some better ways of handling these situations. If it continues, call a meeting so that both the “bully” and the “victim” can voice their concerns and gain a mutual understanding of how they need to behave and respond to each other. Make sure to create a non-adversarial environment for both employees to talk things out so they will not feel pressured or attacked in any way. Lastly, be present and mindful when both parties convey their feelings to each other and provide assistance when necessary.
– Dr. Mimi


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