How can mentoring support conflict resolution for workplace bullying?

It is very important to acquire skills for being a great mentor. same as being a coach or being a specialist in a certain field. Understanding the principles and being able to master the skill is a good way to ensure that you bring value to the overall exchange.

Mentoring works best when there is clarity in the operating principles on how we act and treat each other in our workplace. For example we treat each other with respect and kindness. If someone acts inappropriately we can request mentoring so that we can learn from our behavior and resolve the issue peacefully and maybe even make a promise not to repeat the behavior again.

Mentoring is a safe space where advice and guidance are critical. When going through an trauma it is important to have a space where you feel listened to, cared for and empowered

Mentoring is a process in which one person provides guidance to the other to operate at their full potential. In a workplace, it normally starts when a new employee joins the organization and a mentor is assigned. The mentor's role is to acclimatize the employee of the values, system and people in the organization. He should give a roadmap to the mentee to speed up the learning and growth path. Mentor on the other hand adds to his leadership skills. There is so much to learn from a mentee if the mentor is good learner. Every time I have mentored someone, I have become a better professional by learning from the person and the process.

The Mentoring/Mentee relationship requires a high-level of trust. Ideally, the relationship provides the Mentee with a safe and confidential space to air concerns, test responses to situations, and find the courage (and support) to have difficult conversations. IMHO, mentors help mentees learn how to constructively approach difficult conversations and listen with their ears, heart, and head to the stories of those "bullying" co-workers. When we truly listen and seek to understand, we gain insight into what fuels our co-workers actions/approach or point of view. From this place of empathy, we begin to understand each other's stories and find ways to forge new positive communication pathways that shift the dynamics of the relationship.

Having been bullied a few times in my life; at school, at work and in a military environment, what I know now is that I really needed the help of a mentor as to how to handle the situation. That’s where the beautiful role of a mentor comes in… an experienced individual who can help you think through strategies and work with you to come up with solutions that maybe you haven’t thought of - or don’t have the experience to know how to handle it yet.

Mentoring can play an important role, in the first line of defense to prevent the harm of workplace bullying. Prevention minimizes the costs of bullying on both the individual and the organization. However, to be effective, mentoring must be systematic and prevention-focused. Bullying is a behavior of opportunity, enabled by an organization that allows it to occur and continue to thrive. Mentoring approaches that support inclusivity, productivity, participation, communication and transparency can foster a positive organizational climate, where bullying or cutthroat behaviors are not reinforced or encouraged.

Mentors should be trained on how to handle complaints or concerns by their mentees. Especially ones that break company policy.

Mentoring can help in preventing bullying by fostering strong, supporting relationships and a healthy work environment through practices like positive role modeling, encouraging communication, and safety to address issues early.

I think of mentoring as a part of organizational culture and in this way it supports employees in different challenging situations (e.g. bullying). Mentor helps to navigate both in good and not so good situations. Mentor refers to somebody who has more knowledge and experience in different situations or tasks, is able to guide the mentee, provide support and helpful solutions.

In my experience mentoring is a safe relationship where the employee can address any concerns, feelings and experience without the fear of any consequences. It is based on mutual trust and confidentiality. If the mentor is experienced and really good, this relationship can help the employee to find ways of dealing with bullying etc.

The first thing to be aware of is how bullying is being defined. There are some very obvious examples but some that are a lot more nuanced and can come across as bullying when there’s actually a cultural difference involved and the other person being labeled a “bully” isn’t actually doing anything harmful based on their cultural context. Having a mentor who understands cultural differences can be a great first step to understanding what exactly you’re dealing with. Next comes deciding if the bullying is a fireable offence or coachable. To do this, you want to determine if the negative act is a shadow side of a positive trait or inherently harmful. This will help guide the feedback to the bully and clarify next steps.

Mentoring can offer a safe space to discuss the bullying as well as the impact it is having on a mentee’s life. Bullying should never be swept aside, yet unfortunately can be as it can be hard to take the brave steps and highlight all the issues. Mentoring not only helps this but also to help look all angles to the issue, and explore what are the avenues to move forward. Having a trusted mentor during such challenging times not only allows discussions, clarity and another perspective, but gives support and guidance during what is a very difficult time. Having a trusted mentor means the mentee no longer feels alone or isolated, and more likely to find a resolution, whilst ideally safeguarding health.

There are ten types of bullying (see previous post) the most common being verbal harassment, physical assault, or spreading rumours about someone or a group of people. If your mentee informs you they are being bullied, it’s important to actively listen and validate their feelings. Select a ‘safe space’ with your mentee where they feel comfortable discuss it. You should then help your mentee advocate for themselves in creating a Response Plan for when bullying occurs. The Mentor contributes to the plan by determining different resources that can help. Bullying stems from an imbalance of power, so it’s important to help your mentee build up their confidence in advocating for themself, their safety, and the safety of others.

Having a mentor can help individuals overcome the negative impacts of bullying and regain their confidence. As a mentor, actively listen with curiosity to understand the situation as experienced by the mentee. Acknowledge the experience authentically and apologize if necessary. Thank them for trusting you and ask how you can support them. Mentors can provide validation, empathy, guidance, and a safe place to seek support.

As a mentor I would establish psychological safety and support mentees who've been bullied using these 10 steps: 1. Build Trust with an open mindset and dedication to confidentiality. 2. Foster Active Listening by being present. 3. Establish Empathy and Validation showing genuine concern. 4. Create Safe Space with a judgement free zone. 5. Offer Emotional Support by being present and available. 6. Offer Coping Strategies to manage emotions. 7. Enable Empowerment by focusing on strengths. 8. Advocate for Support for further help. 9. Develop Awareness on bullying dynamics. 10. Have Regular Check-Ins to monitor progress. Consistency, patience, and ongoing support are key to helping mentees recover from bullying and regain confidence.

Effective Mentoring will assist in minimizing the impact of bullying in the organization, the mentee and other employees. Effective mentoring can trace bullying down to its root cause(s) and perpetrator(s) As an independent consultant my experience over the years has shown organisations appear reluctant to spend time in studying the behaviour of the person or persons inflicting the pain. Particularly when these people are key performers! All it takes is an ear to listen – nothing more, nothing less. An effective mentor will do just that, knowing when and how to ask a question to continue the dialogue. Have you considered engaging an independent mentor who has the knowledge and experience to resolve issues of bullying?

Mentoring happens in a space of trust between mentor & mentee. It's about encouraging and guiding the mentee to his/her target. Realistic target definition as well as unity between mentor & mentee is key. But it's not only the process of mentoring, but the mentor himself. He/she can connect with helpful external networks, organizations or contacts outside the business contexts. In contrary vs. Coaching he might even give advice and helps to take decisions.

Organizations should incorporate the mentoring process as an integral part of their employee onboarding process. When a mentor a assigned at the time of joining then the relationship blossoms. Mostly you have to reach out to people for help. In rare case, if you are really good then the mentor will find you.

Yes, I suggest to start from your own organization asking your manager or HR or colleagues. If there is no mentorship provided internally then just turn to somebody you know and admire. Different mentoring programmes and networks are also an option. In my experience I have also mentored my colleagues or people who have turned to me and asked for mentoring.

It’s essential that a mentor fully understands their mentee in providing effective advice and guidance. A potential mentor may be an expert willing to help. A trusting, long-term relationship is paramount to a successful relationship between mentor and mentee. The risk factor is if the personality and world views of the mentor are not compatible with those of their mentee? Compatibility is the fundamental requirement for a success future outcome. This may not be immediately apparent since it takes time to get to know each other. Should the mentee start noticing that there are potential points of conflict or that the mentor doesn't understand the mentee’s point of view, it may be best to part company on amicable terms?

Both formal and informal mentoring are important avenues to start contributing to your organisations culture. Asking for someone to mentor you and offering to do so is a good first step. Even if you dont have a formal program in place - setting this up an avenue in a Employee Resource Group is a great way to experience the benefits

I don't feel mentoring is the most appropriate avenue for conflict resolution when it comes to bullying. It could be seen to be a hand-off of an organisation’s obligations. Bullying is serious and should be dealt with through formal channels and relevant controls put in place to eliminate or mitigate. A workplace has a legal duty to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable - that it's workers aren’t exposed to health and safety risks. This includes the prevention of, and response to workplace bullying. IMHO mentoring doesn’t cut the mustard for this category, unless it’s around up-skilling leaders and people on workplace obligations, identification, prevention and protection from workplace bullying, to name a few.