Mobing in the workplace

The word mobbing is derived from the English word mob, meaning "crowd". In the wild, mobbing is a situation where a herd of herbivores attacks a predator. With respect to the working team, mobbing is an employee harassment, a kind of office hazing. Usually, mobbing has as its goal the dismissal of an objectionable employee.

Mobbing is divided into two main types: vertical (mobbing by the authorities, sometimes it is also called bossing) and horizontal (mobbing by colleagues). Sometimes it happens that a person becomes an object of both types of mobbing at once. For example, the head of the department can be subjected to pressure from the "most important bosses" and contempt from colleagues.

In practice, mobbing can be expressed in different ways: methods of persecution do not count. Open conflicts and fights - this is an extreme case, there are much more subtle ways to bring a hated colleague to white heat, but do not set up. Usually mobbing is a situation from the category of "one against all": a group of employees are poisoning one person. What are the methods of mobbing?

One of the most common methods is boycott, demonstrative disregard of the employee. On working with him communicate - there's really no getting away - but informal informal communication with him is stopped. He is not called in the smoking room and the dining room, they stop greetings, etc.

Another way to harass a colleague is to stop him from working. The victim of the mobbing "accidentally" forgot to provide the necessary information or report knowingly incorrect information, forget to transfer the official fax or the order of the chief, call for a meeting.

Also to the methods of mobbing refers to disregard for success: the boss "forgets" to reward the employee for a good job, colleagues ignore his contribution to the common cause. But blunders are invariably stressed.

In addition, attempts to undermine personal and professional reputation. In the course there are many different ways: gossip, "podstavy", etc.

What are the causes of mobbing? There are several of them, and it often happens that an employee is subjected to mobbing as a result of several causes. So, the most common reasons for mobbing are:

• 
  persecution of newcomers, a kind of "military baptism" (it may stop when a new employee is recognized as "his own").
• 
  envy (especially if the mobbing victim is young and talented - in this case, usually "poison" the elderly employees who grab for a place to hold out until retirement)
• 
  fear of competition
• 
  Uncommon employee ("white crows" rarely like)
• 
  favor from the authorities (this factor is usually accompanied by envy)
• 
  internal stress in the team, requiring an exit

The above reasons are more likely to horizontal mobbing. Mobbing by the authorities can be caused by such factors:

• 
  feelings of inferiority and the desire to assert their authority at someone else's expense
• 
  personal accounts with the employee
• 
  desire to vacate the workplace for someone from "their own"

Ignore mobbing in no case it is impossible - they say, I'll suffer, they'll get over it. Mobbing is a kind of psychological violence, and its consequences can be very serious - up to nervous exhaustion, heart attack or even suicide.

Becoming a victim of mobbing, you need first analyze the situation: Why did you become the object of persecution? Of course, blaming yourself is not necessary - often the victim of mobbing at work is not to blame for anything, but to find out the reasons will not hurt. And then, depending on the reasons, you can choose way to combat mobbing:

1. 
   Response aggression. A way, frankly, doubtful - not allenough powder in the flasks to resist the crowd. But in a small team, confident that there will not be a retaliatory strike, it can work.
2. 
   Underlined benevolence. They disgust you - and you smile at them. Colleagues expect a negative reaction from you - irritation, aggression. If there is no reaction, then you can stop being interesting to him: so much effort, but to sense - zero.
3. 
   "Lady perfection". Work and behave in such a way that there is nothing to complain about. Do not leave the enemy the slightest loophole.

But sometimes you have to resort to the extreme method of dismissal. The fact is that mobbing - is a sign that the team is not all right. They will find a new victim behind you. In most cases, a complete restructuring of the whole team is necessary, but if you see that this will not happen in the near future, it is better to leave and save your nerves and health.</ p>