Most of us are quite familiar with the concept of bullying and harassment in the workplace, but workplace mobbing…what exactly is that?.
Workplace mobbing involves the character assasination of a successful and professionally competent colleague. It is typically instigated by a bully who convinces other colleagues to join them in “mobbing behavior.” The mob systematically targets the colleague by engaging in collective harassment, humiliation, and isolation.
Mobbing behavior can include:
Verbal abuse such as sarcasm and insulting remarks often in public settings.
Exclusion of the target such as “accidentally” leaving them out of email chains or invitations to key meetings.
Gossip and malicious rumors that are always based in some minor real detail of the target’s life, and something they would want to keep private.
Stonewalling or ignoring the input of the target and refusing to give feedback so that their role at work is minimized.
Typical reasons for Workplace Mobbing:
Jealousy of the colleague who is bringing new ideas and elevating expectations.
Desire to maintain the status quo. The instigator and members of the mob want to ensure they can maintain their comfortable work situation and they do this by attempting to eliminate the target.
Workplace culture that permits and condones toxicity.
Not surprisingly, the impact of mobbing on the target can be absolutely devastating. It often results in debilitating emotional distress including depression, anxiety, panic, insomnia, nightmares and even suicide. They often suffer physical symptoms such as digestive problems, disrupted sleep, high blood pressure, migraines and the like. Finally, the victim experiences professional reputational harm and often feels forced to leave the organization, not on their own terms.
The impact on the organization is also negative because highly competent employees exit and an increasingly toxic workplace culture persists.
Actions to take if you are a Target:
If you are a target of mobbing, it is important to seek help. Because isolation and humiliation are core to the experience, it can be very scary to seek help. In general it is best to seek help outside of the organization from a skilled therapist.
