Oh Scorpion, Why Did You Sting Me?
Olu Joseph (MBA, M.Sc, HRPA, SPHRi, PHRi, Prosci?)
Innovative Talent Strategist | Visionary HR Leader | Trusted Business Partner | Creative Intrapreneurial | Driving organizational excellence with a human touch.
There is an old parable about a scorpion and a frog. The scorpion asked the frog for a ride across a river. The frog asked, “How do I know you will not sting me?” The scorpion says, “If I sting you, then we will both die.”
This makes sense to the frog, so he agrees to give the scorpion a ride on his back. Halfway across the river, the scorpion stings him. “Why did you sting me?” asks the frog. “I could not help it,” says the scorpion. “It is in my nature to sting.”
It is important for bullying targets to understand that bullying is never their fault. Understanding why someone acts the way they do may help to take some of the burden off of your shoulders. However, a person’s background, personality disorders, or any other excuses you can think of are no reason for bullying your colleague.
We all knew bullies in school who pushed people around to get what they wanted. Unfortunately, many schoolyard bullies continue their behavior through school and out into the workplace. People may also have learned bullying from parents or relatives as they were growing up.
Have you met a sadist-boss? They get pleasure out of other people’s pain. Perhaps they don’t feel that they’re doing their job if your life is too easy. Or perhaps they feel that they need to bully you to help you grow. Whatever their motivation, they’re not justified in bullying others. They actually need to know that bullying people will have negative impact on their performance.
Some people bully because of personal issues in their lives. Perhaps they are having a tough time at home and are taking it out on people at the workplace. Perhaps they are abusing drugs or alcohol, substances which can cause behavior problems. Regardless of what is going on in their personal lives, these problems are never an excuse to treat people poorly.
Just as the scorpion couldn’t help stinging the frog, bullies often don’t know any other way to behave. However, that doesn’t make it acceptable.
Talent Manager at TGI | Skilled in Offer Negotiations, Talent Mgt, Transitions & Onboarding | Mentor at Rome Business School | HR Leader & Business Partner | Ex-P&G | Ex-Hayat Kimya | Ex-FMN
4 年Workplace bullying takes away the joy and desire to wake up each day to go to work and perform at your peak. Don't be a bully and much more don't be an accomplice - the negative effect is just the same. Thank you Oluwole Joseph (MSc, SPHRi, PHRi, ACIPM,FIMCB,CMC, CIEH, PRINCE2)
HR Generalist | HR Business Partner | Management & Strategy Consulting
4 年Great post Oluwole Joseph. I think victims of workplace bullying should tell the oppressor how they feel about the whole thing. We shouldn't suffer in silence.
HR Advisory Solutions | Learning & Development | Business Improvement Advocate
4 年Oluwole Joseph (MSc, SPHRi, PHRi, ACIPM,FIMCB,CMC, CIEH, PRINCE2), when I saw this, I smiled and shook my head, not that bullying is right in any form or shape, but because this is something that happen on a daily basis in the workplace. You would be surprised the number of employees that are been bullied everyday since this pandemic started. Why? Because the person bullying, to some extent, holds the key to the job of the person been bullied. Am sure you would have seen and heard of stories of employees been bullied. Who will support the case of the victims? Who will fight their fights? If you give people the opportunity based on anonymity to speak out, you'll be surprised what you'll hear. Well done. You're doing well..??
Passionate about Employee Engagement , Belonging ,Employee Experience,Talent & Culture #talks about #mentalhealth #neurodiversity #culture
4 年Very sensitive issue and alot of junior workers suffer in silence, people should learn to speak up about this unacceptable behaviour! Thank you Oluwole Joseph (MSc, SPHRi, PHRi, ACIPM,FIMCB,CMC, CIEH, PRINCE2)