The Bully-Free Workplace: Stop Jerks, Weasels, and Snakes From Killing Your Organization

Turnover of the Wrong People

Unfortunately, it's the best and brightest—not the expendable dullards—who are frequently chased away. Most are driven out by conditions made deliberately so unbearable that no one could stay; this is known as constructive discharge. Others quit for reasons directly tied to the unremitting stress from bullying managers. The banished are the workers who threaten their managers. From our 2003 online survey, we identified the top four reasons given by targets for their selection by bullies. The most frequent reason given was “independence,” their refusal to be or act subservient. Factors two and three were about posing a threat—more technical competence in the job than the bully and better liked by customers and coworkers. The fourth ranked factor was being ethical and honest and willing to expose fraud (to be a whistleblower). Company executives rarely learn about the numerous, expensive sacrifices unless the targets also operate at, or near, the top levels.