Assertiveness vs Bullying
Managing Aggressiveness Workshop
Enhance Communication
Learn practical strategies to combat and prevent bullying, and foster a safe and respectful work environment instead.
Learn Assertiveness Skills
Learn how to be effective without intimidating, and without letting your frustrations get the better of you.
End Workplace Bullying
Address workplace bullying through this training to mitigate its harmful effects on individuals and organisations.Refine your communication skills by learning to harness your emotional intelligence with one of the UK's most acclaimed management training courses.
Why Choose This Training?
More Than Just A Course Of Lectures
What gets in the way of developing and holding on to new communication skills are old habits of thinking and speaking. Even if the advice is very good the reason why it rarely sticks are the mental habits people inevitably revert to, especially under pressure.
Unlearning those old habits and internalising a more effective and lasting approach to communication needs more than a short course of lectures on how to do it.
What Makes This Training Stand Out?
What makes this training stand out is the exceptional support through one-to-one coaching sessions and continuous feedback. Changing behaviour is not an easy task as old habits are hard to break.
With a 40-year track record we can help you cultivate practical skills, and build your confidence to so you can successfully navigate real-world challenges, ensuring lasting behavioural improvements.
Testimonials
Join thousands of participants getting results
"What I love about this course is that I didn't just learn about the topic, this course is about ME. I'm confident I can reliably use my new skills, even when under pressure".
"A lesson for life! The power of effective communication is incredible when one masters the skills "listening with empathy" and "speaking assertively"
Clients We Have Worked With
Well-known companies who have used this course again and again, over many years
Course Summary
Training Objectives
This course is designed to help you develop your ability to understand and prevent workplace bullying by helping you develop assertiveness skills. You will focus on creating and maintaining a healthy workplace culture, using role-playing exercises, group discussions, and real-life case studies. You will learn the effects of bullying behaviour at work, and develop your communication and conflict resolution skills so you can address workplace bullying and instead create a positive work environment based on empathy, respect and dignity. Learn how to maintain your assertiveness without it being confused for aggressiveness. You can be tough on the issue while being kind to the person.
Emotional Intelligence
You will learn a set of powerful emotional intelligence communication techniques so that you can manage difficult conversations, handle challenging situations, build relationships and set firm boundaries.
Transferable Skills
The goal of this training is to equip you with the tools they need to build strong, lasting relationships in your professional life, although because these skills are so transferable many clients report vast improvements in their personal relationships as well.
Develop Skills
This is a skills development rather than just a theoretical programme, so the emphasis throughout will be on you taking turn after turn, practising your skills, while receiving feedback and coaching about your effect on others.
Repeated Practice and Feedback
In your coaching sessions you will be helped to practise dealing with the kinds of situation you find challenging, again and again, until you are confident you can do it successfully.
Video Analysis
We'll combine practical, hands-on experience with video replay and analysis and discussion of the principles involved to help you gain both skills and understanding. Special attention is paid to your individual training needs, so you can practise your skills in real-life situations that you have to handle at work.
Sustained Change
That's why as well as your place in a small group, this training includes a generous amount of private and confidential one-to-one coaching sessions online, spread over several months, ensuring an exceptional level of support. This will ensure the changes you make are sustained over a longer period of time and any obstacles are overcome. Choose between online training available worldwide, or in-person face-to-face courses in the UK.
Course Dates and Price
For a list of upcoming course dates (for online coaching and face-to-face training), the locations of the next 3-day public courses in the UK and pricing Click here.
Free Initial Session
This initial coaching session serves as an introduction to the "Skills with People" course, allowing you to understand the course's relevance and effectiveness for your specific needs before committing to it.
Transforming Workplace Bullies Into Effective Leaders Through This Managerial Training
Bullying in the workplace is a serious issue that can have far-reaching effects. Bullying includes unwanted conduct related to a person's protected characteristic such as race, age, sexual orientation or gender.
Managers accused of bullying team members face disciplinary action and possible legal action even dismissal in some cases. For these reasons, it's essential for employers to provide training for managers accused of bullying so that they are aware of their actions and the effects it has on those around them.
Our assetiveness training course helps build an environment free from any type of intimidation or unfair treatment at work while also ensuring employees' safety both emotionally and physically.
For more information about how managers can continue to demand high standards without coming across as aggressive, jeopardising their relationships, and being accused of bullying see our Assertiveness Training.
Understanding Workplace Bullying
By understanding workplace bullying, you can effectively identify, prevent bullying culture, and address these issues through comprehensive training programs.
Miss-communications and Miss-understandings of bullying behaviour
Here is an example of a common scenario that many people encounter. Does any of this resonate with you?
It's not uncommon for managers to feel the pressure to achieve results, leading them to sometimes speak over junior staff or use inappropriate language. Additionally, when tasks are not completed properly, managers may perceive it as obstruction or defiance, even if it's caused by external factors.
Navigating this situation can be a real challenge for managers. They need to assert their needs without being too aggressive and turning people off, while also avoiding behaviours that can be perceived as bullying. Finding the right balance can be difficult, but it's crucial to avoid getting into hot water. This is an area which our training specialises.
Defining Workplace Bullying, Harassment, And Discrimination
Workplace bullying, harassment, and discrimination can take many forms. Bullying is defined as a behaviour which causes fear in someone, by creating an intimidating or hostile environment.
This includes behaviors such as belittling comments, criticisms without sufficient reasons and ignoring someone's efforts to perform tasks correctly. Workplace harassment is more explicit than workplace bullying and may involve unwanted advances of physical or verbal nature based on gender, race, age etc., sexual jokes and innuendoes.
Discrimination refers to an action taken against a person due to any federally protected characteristic such as national origin or religion. Employers are legally responsible for preventing this behavior from occurring in their workplaces as it leads to decreased morale among employees resulting in poor performance and even legal consequences.
Importance Of Effective Training Programs For Managers
Understanding the seriousness of workplace bullying and developing effective strategies is essential for managers, which makes training programs an invaluable resource.
Developing Effective Training Methods And Techniques
Our training for managers accused of bullying focuses on learning how to create and maintain a healthy workplace culture. This includes providing clear expectations, creating an inclusive environment, developing communication and conflict resolution skills, as well as understanding the implications of bullying behaviour.
Effective training methods include role-playing exercises which give managers the opportunity to practice responding to situations realistically in a safe environment. Group discussions can also be used to explore conversations collaboratively while considering different perspectives using emotional intelligence, specifically listening with empathy and speaking assertivenly.
Real-life case studies can help bring theoretical knowledge into practice by allowing participants to interact with complex scenarios more closely by analysing outcomes in groups using a video camera, so they can see for themselves how they come across face to face with other peopkle. The use of video clips is another effective technique that allows people to observe conversations from various angles in order for them to better understand what constitutes unacceptable behaviour at work.
Finally, utilizing online coaching will provide meaningful insights, and ongoing support into participant's thinking patterns around acceptable behaviors. We have had incredible feedback from people at all levels across many organisation about employee experiences related to bullyng issues. In many cases people's behaviour has transformed as a result of our training.
Understanding The Effects Of Bullying Behaviour at work
Bullying in the workplace can have serious and lasting consequences for both the recipient of the bullying behavior, their colleagues, line manager, and ultimately the organisation itself.
It is associated with increased anxiety and stress levels which can lead to physical health problems, depression, decreased job satisfaction, absenteeism or presenteeism (turning up to work but not achieving a high level of productivity), as well as increased probability of an employee leaving their job due to attrition.
This type of negative environment will also reduce collaboration among co-workers by leading them to become disconnected from each other. If unchecked it can create a toxic atmosphere that negatively impacts on morale throughout entire departments or offices.
Promoting Communication And Conflict Resolution Skills to tackle bullying
Our assertiveness training course can be an invaluable part of the support for managers accused of bullying. By developing techniques for improving communication and addressing difficult conversations in a constructive way it allows employers to create a positive work environment based on personal respect and dignity, and discourages inappropriate behavior like bullying from occurring.
Through effective communication, employers can also provide the necessary support to their staff to deal with workplace bullying issues if they arise. With conflict resolution skills, managers will have the tools they need to address problems informally when possible or take appropriate legal action if necessary. These essential abilities empower employees by increasing awareness of expectations and providing them with options should workplace bullying become an issue. Ultimately, developing these important skills helps create a safe environment for all parties involved in any working relationship.
Exploring The Effects Of Workplace Bullying On Employees
Workplace bullying can have serious, long-term consequences for employees and organizations alike. Physical and emotional health can suffer as a result of continued intimidation, humiliation, belittling behavior or physical aggression from supervisors or coworkers.
Workplace sexual harassment also adversely affects not only individual victims but also their colleague's engagement levels - leading to more absenteeism among staff when one person is continuously harassed by another employee or superior. Moreover, communication breakdown between employees could cause production delays while deteriorating relationships with customers hamper customer loyalty.
It is important that managers take allegations of bullying seriously. Setting clear expectations about appropriate behavior within the organisation helps prevent incidents of workplace bullying before they escalate out of control; creating an inclusive environment without fear where everyone is respected regardless any irrelevant characteristics will demonstrate management's commitment for diversity throughout all working relationships.
Managers must be equipped with adequate skills in order to investigate accusations objectively. On our assertiveness training program we invite particpants to take part in case studies and roleplaying. That way they can rehearse more appropirate ways to communicate their frustrations and wishes, with examples including conflict resolution strategies, instead of becoming aggressive or angry when things don't go their way.
The Legal Implications Of Workplace Bullying
Workplace bullying can have serious legal implications, especially when it takes the form of harassment or discrimination. This legal definition includes any unwanted conduct which involves an individual's gender, age, disability or sexual orientation that has the purpose of violating someone's dignity or creating an offensive environment for them.
Depending on their circumstances and intent behind their behaviour, bullies may be liable to disciplinary action and/or criminal proceedings if they commit any prohibited behavior outlined in this legislation.
Additionally, employers may find themselves facing large fines should one of their employees take a legal route such as making a case to an Employment Tribunal. In addition to creating potential consequences for those who commit workplace bullying behaviours directly - both individuals and organisations - having robust policies and procedures in place is essential for mitigating risk from claims relating to poor management of complaints and detrimental treatment in breach of employment rights.
The Role Of Managers In Preventing Workplace Bullying
Managers play a critical role in preventing workplace bullying and creating an environment where employees can thrive, by setting expectations for behavior, developing effective training methods and techniques to stop bullying, taking complaints seriously, and providing ongoing support.
Identifying And Handling Complaints
Mangers have an important role to play in preventing workplace bullying. It is therefore essential for managers to be able to identify and handle complaints related to workplace bullying. When a complaint of work bullying is made, it is important that the manager takes it seriously whilst also remaining impartial and conducting a thorough investigation.
It is vital for managers to address complaints quickly and discreetly, with kindness, understanding and empathy towards those involved. When investigating a complaint, managers should look at all available evidence, as well as speaking with the complainant and any witnesses in order to gain a complete picture of the situation.
When dealing with complaints of workplace bullying, steps may include issuing warnings or reprimands, holding disciplinary meetings, counselling employees or resolving issues informally. This can include mediation or facilitated discussions between parties if the behaviour does not constitute discrimination or harassment. If formal disciplinary action is required, steps can be taken up to and including dismissal of the offender according to relevant company policies and procedures. Managers must always ensure that they act appropriately when responding to allegations of bullying in order protect both employees rights as well as the interests of their organisation.
Employers should ensure that they have adequate systems in place for recording complaints which year provide evidence should further legal action be required. They should also ensure that appropriate training has been provided so staff are aware how to tackle bullying, discrimination and harassment allegations are dealt with within their organisation. A victim's rights must also be respected throughout all stages when handling allegations of bullying at work, particularly if they face negative consequences from reporting serious incidents such as physical violence or unreasonable conduct which amounts to constructive unfair dismissal. Adequate support should additionally be put in place by employers who need expert advice on tackling bullying behaviour at work such as specially trained staff, harassment advisers or representatives from trade unions who could offer impartial advice or support legal action where necessary
Setting Expectations For Behavior
Managers are in a position of authority and must set a good example for the rest of their team when it comes to preventing workplace bullying. Managers should take proactive steps by setting clear expectations on appropriate behavior at work and how workers can interact with each other safely, respectfully, and professionally.
This includes addressing harassing language or gestures as well as any type of physical violence, discrimination, teasing or intimidation that violates an individual's dignity and rights.
Providing training to employees about what is considered acceptable conduct will improve accountability for everyone involved in the organizational structure. It is also important for managers to frequently monitor interactions between employees and immediately address employees who do not meet these expectations.
Establishing strict guidelines helps create a safe working environment where all people are treated fairly regardless of gender identity, race, religion or sexual orientation or other relevant protected characteristics ultimately reducing incidences of bullying in the workplace and bullying within an organization. Companies need to ensure they have taken proper legal measures, such as ageism and harassmentas employers may be held legally responsible if found liable or negligent related charges.
Creating A Positive And Respectful Workplace Culture
Leadership is the foundation for creating a workplace culture that promotes respect and understanding. Employers must not only set clear expectations, but ensure their actions match those words by ensuring worker's rights are respected and diversity, inclusion, and non-discrimination are encouraged as part of everyday operations.
Strong management practices also play an important role in fostering positive cultures around inequality, sexual harassment, and abuse at work. Managers need to be aware of the legal aspects around bullying behaviors, helping create environments free from such negativity while still protecting individuals civil liberties where appropriate.
Responding To Accusations Of Bullying
When faced with an accusation of bullying at work however, managers must investigate the complaint objectively and take relevant steps to address any issues found.
Taking Accusations Seriously
It is critical that managers accused of bullying take accusations seriously and respond appropriately. Failure to do so can have a deep impact on employees, leading to decreased morale and trust in the workplace, as well as high turnover rates amongst staff.
Moreover, companies who fail to address issues of bullying may be liable for legal action from those affected. For example, in 2018 an ABTA employee won a claim against their employer at the employment tribunal for constructive unfair dismissal due to being subjected to inappropriate and insulting behaviour, without any attempt by their employer to respond or protect them.
Organisations must ensure that they create an environment where matters of workplace bullying are taken seriously and acted upon immediately if allegations arise . This requires setting out clear policies concerning bullying behaviour before it arises which should include how complaints will be handled and how employers should act when such accusations are made.
Managers must equip themselves with appropriate training including understanding what constitutes inappropriate behaviours - ranging from simple insults through physical abuse - as well as accessing professional advice if necessary.
Conducting An Impartial Investigation
When responding to accusations of workplace bullying, it is essential that managers conduct an impartial investigation. Investigating complaints of bullying and harassment requires careful management procedures as well as procedural fairness in all aspects - from gathering evidence to making decisions about action, updating employees throughout the process and keeping their concerns confidential. This ensures that any consequences are fair and consistent with company standards.
The steps involved in conducting an impartial investigation include:
- Collecting relevant evidence - such as witness statements, emails or other written communication between parties, photos or audio recordings etc.;
- Interviewing witnesses on both sides;
- Evaluating the evidence collected objectively; and
- Making a determination of appropriate action based on the facts presented during the investigation.
It is important to ensure that facts are gathered fairly and impartially throughout any disciplinary proceedings related to allegations against a manager for bullying or inappropriate behaviour. It is also important for managers to stay calm so they can make objective decisions about consequences for those accused of harassing behavior. Finally, once the formal complaint itself has been addressed managers should provide ongoing support resources if necessary for those affected by this experience.
Evaluating Evidence And Determining Appropriate Action
When making decisions related to accusations of bullying or harassment, it's important to conduct an impartial investigation. The aim here is to obtain facts and sufficient evidence in order to determine the truth and reach a fair conclusion.
It's critical that management listens carefully both employers who have been accused of bullying as well as those who have accused them -allowing all parties involved time for their say without prejudging - before taking any action.
Given the complex legal implications associated with workplace bullying, it can be beneficial for managers facing such allegations to seek professional advice from HR departments or trade union officials if applicable.
This enables them to handle each case professionally and ensure compliance with employment legislation including discrimination law.
In addition, feedback from employees about how they are treated by managers should be taken into account when considering potential action against an individual manager in question; situation specific information like whether insults were hurled at one particular employee may provide vital clues in investigations.
Creating A Safe And Healthy Workplace Culture
To cultivate a safe, healthy environment, employers must make concerted efforts to promote respect and inclusivity among employees, actively remove work-related stressors and improve working conditions, and encourage open feedback from all team members.
Building A Culture Of Respect And Inclusivity
It is essential in preventing workplace bullying and harassment. Respectful practices must be consistently enforced by employers, such as having clear Staff Dignity and Respect Policies that address the full range of behaviour that may constitute harassment and bullying at work.
Such policies should reflect core values, including a commitment to equality, human rights and inclusive working.
In addition to creating correct policies, employers need to lead by example by demonstrating respectful behaviour towards others at all times and establishing zero-tolerance for any form of discrimination or mistreatment amongst staff.
This means thoroughly educating management on the legal implications related to workplace bullying - making sure they know how best to deal with complaints made by employees about harassment problems either via formal or informal channels - ensuring positive relationships between workers are maintained at all times.
Removing Work-related Stressors And Improving Work Conditions
Workplace bullying can often be subtle, but can have significant effects on the mental and physical health of employees. It is important for employers to identify potential causes of workplace stress and address them as an integral step in preventing bullying.
Common sources of work-related stressors include tight deadlines, long working hours without breaks, high job demands with little autonomy or control over workloads, unsupportive management styles and poor relationships with colleagues.
By removing these types of factors from their workplaces, businesses are creating better conditions that help protect their staff against the risk of being bullied.
Employers should carry out a systematic approach to identifying causes of stress by carrying out relevant assessments such as Health & Safety Executive (HSE) resources which require organisations to assess various aspects at work that may cause ill-health in workers including threats posed by hazardous substances and unsafe equipment use along other risk areas such as abuse from others or discrimination issues faced by employees.
Encouraging Employee Feedback And Participation
Employee feedback and participation can be important tools in preventing workplace bullying. By creating a culture where employees feel safe to express their views and opinions, it can help identify any issues such as bullying-style behavior before they escalate further.
A structure that enables discussions between staff members is key to encouraging a more positive work environment, while open dialogue can also reduce any potential stressors which may trigger Anti-Social behaviour or aggression.
An effective anti-bullying strategy should also involve active listening from managers who are not afraid to ask difficult questions and address any underlying problems which could be causing the behaviour.
This requires emphasizing certain values across the organisation so all team members understand what kind of behavior is acceptable in the workplace, as well as strategies for dealing with conflicts or disagreements when they arise.
The Importance Of Continual Training And Improvement
Employers should provide continual training and improvement programs to ensure all managers accused of bullying remain equipped with the latest best practice protocols and strategies for prevention.
Regularly Reviewing Policies And Procedures
It is essential when it comes to training for managers accused of bullying to keep up-to-date. Having an effective policies and procedures roadmap in place helps organisations ensure they are addressing any potential workplace bullying issues before they escalate. It also demonstrates a commitment to creating a safe and respectful workplace culture which can help foster trust between employees and management. Regularly reviewing existing policies and procedures helps organizations identify areas for improvement,and update inadequate standards as needed. This can include updating language that addresses the legal implications of workplace bullying, setting expectations for behavior, clarifying grievance procedures when complaints arise and establishing clear pathways for resolving any discriminatory or inappropriate behaviours in the work environment. Regular reviews can also provide an opportunity to review supervision methods like direct observation as well as providing targeted education about how discrimination, harassment and other unwanted conduct affects individuals within their organisation
Measuring The Effectiveness Of Training Programs
Organisations looking to truly understand the impact of anti-bullying policies and training need to assess its effectiveness. This means employing strategies such as collecting feedback from employees about their experiences, tracking changes in behavior, and evaluating how this impacts the workplace culture overall.
Collecting employee feedback is essential for organisations to identify areas for improvement when updating or creating new training materials. Employee surveys are useful tools which can be used to inform employers if employees believe that the organisation has successfully reduced any bullying incidents through use of effective policies and procedures.
Tracking employee behavior post-training is another important component of measuring success, as it will help organisations better understand how well messages have been received by its staff both bullies and victims alike.
It also allows employers to make changes quickly where necessary should they feel like a particular message or approach may not have had the desired effect on an individual's attitude or responsiveness towards others in the work environment.
Providing Ongoing Support And Resources For Employees
It is critical for employers to provide ongoing support and resources to employees who have experienced workplace bullying. Bullying can have a long-term impact on an individual's wellbeing, so it is important that measures are taken to ensure they are able to recover both physically and mentally in a safe environment.
It also helps build back trust from victims of bullying between management, staff members, and the organisation itself. Managers should be trained in identifying when an employee may need help through signs such as withdrawal or dropping performance at work and offer appropriate assistance promptly.
Where available, setting up anti-harassment policies with clear guidelines for acceptable behaviours amongst colleagues at the workplace, and providing regular training focused on making managers more aware of any issues arising related to bullying or inappropriate behaviour.
Additionally having techniques available like meditation classes in-house would also help reduce stress levels among employees who might be vulnerable targets of bullies within their working environments.
Bullying at work FAQs
1. What is bullying in the workplace?
Bullying in the workplace involves repeatedly aggressive behavior that targets a person, or group of people, with negative and damaging actions. Examples include belittling comments, isolating or exclusionary behavior, misrepresentation of facts and rumors. It can target anyone regardless of rank or seniority.
2. Why should managers attend workplace bullying training?
Workplace bullying training teaches managers how to recognise potentially abusive behaviors from their employees as well as strategies to manage an employee's conduct before it escalates into more serious infractions and legal issues for both parties involved. Training also provides vital information on relevant state laws protecting victims of bullies so employers understand their responsibility concerning such matters .
3. What topics are typically included in manager/supervisor anti-bullying trainings?
Manager/supervisor anti-bullying trainings typically cover topics such as understanding different types of workplace harassment; how to be assertive instead of being aggressive, recognising signs & symptoms associated with dealing with bullying in various forms (including direct & indirect); identifying triggers that lead to bullying behaviors; developing procedures & best practices designed specifically for employers when dealing with bullying; reports they receive related instances; techniques used deescalate tensions between parties; obtaining appropriate support services offered by the HR department/etc.
4. Are there any online resources available aimed at helping management teams become better equipped preventing incidences occurring within workplaces?
Yes! We provide online training and coaching specifically designed to support managers who have been accused of bullying, and are motivated to find a more appropraite alternative way to communicate.