Workplace Bullying

You are here 2 Workplace Bullying: Awareness, Reaction & Prevention

Plan of Teaching by Dr. Marcus Clarkson

## Overview

That tight feeling in your gut as you walk through the office door. The fearful contemplation of opening emails from one coworker. How your shoulders retract when specific people walk into the room. I've encountered various iterations of these warning signs in my consultancy practice around Australia, and they all flag a serious workplace problem: bullying.

I was having lunch last week at a manufacturing Company in Newcastle and the HR manager said that their 'top' engineer had suddenly left with no explanation. When we probed further, we found months of systematic undermining by a senior colleague. This story is not uncommon, workplace bullying is experienced by almost one in five Australian workers, with many organisations still poorly navigating their way through how to 'deal' with it.

This extensive training includes what participants can do to identify, react to and stop workplace bullying. We'll go beyond the glaringly obvious scenarios to examine low level behaviours that can turn a culture bad, and tips that work in our real Aussie workplaces.

## Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this educational activity, participants will be able to:

Recognise bullying behaviors, differentiate between work conflict and systemic harassment

Use combination of reactions that their role and situation required

Keep a record of the incidents in a legally sound manner that minimises harm to all concerned parties

Adopting preventive measures that focus on the cause, rather than the symptoms at a later stage.

Confidently navigate the reporting process, knowing it Kerry conceived this book equivalence of "The Definitive Guide to SDN" of your Business.

Cultivate respectful environments in the workplace by being proactive and communicating boundaries

## What You Will Learn

### Module 1: Understanding Workplace Bullying

From outright aggression to elegant manipulation, you'll find the whole range of bullying behaviors here. We will explore actual cases from Australian workplaces that will give you a sixth sense for patterns you otherwise wouldn't see. This involves understanding how power dynamics, the culture of the organisation and people involved can serve to make an environment that bullying can flourish in.

### Module 2: The Impact Assessment

Train leaders to calculate the real cost of bullying, not just on human beings, but on: team productivity, organisational reputation, and bottom line, on the corporate balance sheet. You'll see why addressing harassment training is about more than just being nice, it's a smart business move that safeguards your most valuable resources—your people.

### Module 3: Appropriate Responses in Any Role

As a target, a witness, a manager, or HR professional, you will discover scripts designed specifically for you in light of your role and stake. This can involve particular types of conversation structure, methods to de escalate, and when to escalate versus when to directly address issues.

### Module 4: Evidence and Legal Enablers

Become the master of the well documented incident that is challenge proof and observant of privacy constraints. You will gain an understanding of your rights under Australian workplace law and how you can access the system without being blacklisted.

### Module 5: Building Prevention Systems

Discover the proactive measures to prevent bullying from ever happening. This involves: defining clear expectations of behavior, setting up effective feedback channels and reinforcing psychological safety in the team. And you'll learn how simple daily practices, consistently pursued here and there across an organisation, can shift culture in powerful ways.

### Module 6: How to Have Hard Conversations that Make a Difference

Start practicing having courageous conversations that change the world, not conversations that end in defensiveness. The specific language patterns and timing techniques we teach make it much more likely that you'll get a positive result.

## Training Methodology

This interactive program combines:

Real Australian workplace based case studies for analysis

This play acting out of roles takes place in a safe, supportive atmosphere.

Informal discussion groups that support learning from peers

Real world work assignments that are timely and relevant

Personal reflecting time to work through personal experiences

## Who Should Attend

Managers or Supervisors at all other levels

HR practitioners & ER specialists

Health and safety representatives

Union delegates and workplace advocates

An employee who seeks to foster a respectful workplace culture

## Concluding Remarks

Workplace bullying isn't to be accepted, it's to be PREVENTED when we have the knowledge and tools to do so. This training enables you to respond effectively, regardless of whether you are defending yourself, supporting a coworker, or contributing to systemic change in your Organisation.

Remember, every positive intervention matters. Sometimes it's the quiet discussion with a struggling team member that staves off a resignation. And other times, it's the manager who finally confronts a troublesome situation that changes an entire team's culture.

You will go home with the strategies and confidence to make a difference and add value to environments where others are free to focus on doing their best work. Because ultimately, that's what we all deserve — a chance to work with our abilities rather than fear being harassed or intimidated for what we believe.

Held in Perth, Adelaide and online, because the power to create respectful workplaces should not depend on your postcode.