While overwhelmingly the most common form is the boss bullying everyone else, it can go on among workers through gossip and insults, social exclusion and disrespect, stealing credit and shifting blame. And, he adds, two-thirds of sabotage acts are committed by disgruntled employees who felt they were abused. New Jersey-based business communications trainer Barbara Pachter said she has spent 12 years lecturing companies and giving seminars to thousands on how to curtail workplace confrontation and improve relations. Greeting and acknowledging others in the workplace are the easiest and most effective way to defuse potential workplace conflict and improve relations, Pachter said. But when that fails, other strategies are needed, she said.
Many people blow up or wimp out.
Like confrontation itself, the skills are equally applicable at large or small companies, Pachter said. Many people become preoccupied and don't realize how their behavior hurts others. They simply need to be told in a polite and powerful way.