Positive/Effective Work Environment &
Workplace Bullying Awareness &
Prevention
Jacinta M. Kitt
Positive / effective work environment
Definition
A work environment that provides a high quality
service in an atmosphere of respect, co-operation,
openness & equality.
Creating and maintaining positive
relationships at work
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Positive language and behaviour
Encouragement and recognition
Listen as well as talk
Beware of non-verbal messages
Discuss and resolve conflict
Address and challenge inappropriate behaviour without
personal criticism
 Show compassion warmth and good humour
 Don’t take yourself too seriously
The Manager’s Role
 Being an effective manager
 Modelling appropriate interpersonal behaviour
 Using effective communication skills to deal with
difficult situations
Emotional & Social Intelligence
 Fine-tuned and insightful Self-awareness and
Self-Management
 Positive and productive relations and interaction
with others
Good Self Managers
 Have good emotional self control
 Tend to be even tempered
 Can be passionate
 Think clearly when they are experiencing strong
feelings
 Make decisions based on their hearts & their
heads
Stress as a Social Issue
 Toxic relationships are considered to be as
major a risk factor for disease & death
as smoking, physical inactivity, obesity, high
blood pressure or cholesterol.
Social Stressors at Work
 Workplace bullying or harassment
 Poor management practices
 Toxic inter-personal behaviours
What is inappropriate interpersonal
behaviour in the workplace?
 Inappropriate interpersonal behaviour is
behaviour that impacts negatively on a person’s
ability to do their job.
Why managers don’t intevene:
 Don’t know what to do & lack skills
 Have skills (been trained) but lack confidence
 Choose to ignore because it will detract from
time & energy spent on task
 No point because they (the manager) will not be
supported by the organisation
 Haven’t done anything in the past - why now?
 Fail to identify behaviours as problematic
Rayner & McIvor, Uk Dignity at Work Project, 2006
What is bullying?
Heinz Leymann
Bullying is the systematic erosion of:
 a person’s possibility of communicating
 their reputation
 their relationships
 the quality of their work/school/family life
 health
Organisational Responses to Bullying
Dismissive
Minimum Compliance
Reactive
Proactive
Organisational Beliefs & Attitudes
Bullying is a form of abuse, with serious
individual & organisational effects.
We have to do something.
Creating a bullying free environment will have knock on
beneficial effects on effectiveness & productivity.
Proactive
The organisation’s culture & climate can prevent
or promote bullying.
Bullying will not thrive in an organisation with a
positive effective work environment.
The organisation’s response must cover prevention,
intervention & minimisation.
Problems are more quickly resolved when aired &
dealt with than when repressed or hidden.
It is the organisation’s responsibility to provide
a psychologically safe working environment.
Safety, Health & Welfare at Work Act
Code of Practice
Prevention & Resolution of Bullying at Work
 Policy & Procedures (formal & informal)
 Clear responsibilities (re prevention)
 Communication
 Monitoring (incidents)
 Training & supervision
 Review
 Access to “contact person”
Preventing Bullying
 Anti- Bullying Policies & Procedures important &
necessary.
 Anti-Bullying Philosophy absolutely vital.
Inter-personal Behaviour
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Performance issue
Professional standards
Potential for stress
Prevents bullying
Psychologically safe environment
Positively good for you