Mark Goulston, MD, says about one-third of American adults has been bullied during adulthood. They experienced stress, depression, diminished confidence and/or lost sleep as a result.
Bullies don’t attack because something is wrong with their victims. They do so as a strategy to prevent people from noticing their own inadequacies, such as incompetence or self-centeredness.
Source: Bottom Line Inc., September 15, 2019. Link. Goulston shares a three-step strategy that really works:
- Warn yourself that an attack is imminent
- Pause for two seconds after the bully concludes his bullying statement
- Offer a response that makes the bully look laughable and reinforces that he hasn’t gotten to you
INSIGHTS: Goulston’s advice for addressing a bully who is a boss acknowledges the potential for misunderstanding communications. It also models an assertive “help me understand” approach.