How to handle intimidation at the workplace starts with recognizing the signs. Workplace intimidation refers to behaviors that create fear, discomfort, or distress in an employee. It typically takes the form of verbal abuse, threatening body language, emotional manipulation, social isolation, physical threats or undermining someone’s work.
When someone tries to intimidate you at the workplace, do the following:
- Look bored
People who intimidate get a thrill out of exerting dominance. But when you act disinterested, you blink slowly and have this face of ‘I could not be more unimpressed by what I’m seeing right now,’ they know not to go to you again for that satisfaction.
- Delay your response time
When you wait to respond to their intimidation, it puts you in more control and makes them sound more needy. You will always sound more in control at second ten than second one. Remember that people who intimidate others do not do so by chance. They take time to calculate the place and time to belittle you whilst hiding their own insecurities. When they puck you, they expect a knee-jerk reaction that can further be used against you. But when you delay your reaction, you disarm them while giving yourself time to respond adequately. Try this technique and you will find them second-guessing themselves. It is the best way to take the wind out of their sails.
- Employ a power phrase
A lot of intimidation at the workplace is vehicle through words, written and spoken. Intimidation is manifested via emails, in meetings, or even in one-on-one discussions. A person that is determined to intimidate you will exploit every opportunity to bully you by proving to you that you are beneath what you think of yourself or what people think of you. They would pick on your mistakes and emphasize them. They will downplay your strengths, dilute your contributions, minimise offenses committed against you, and even recruit allies to oppose you.
When you face a pattern of intimidation at the workplace, use phrases that shut them down. For example, you can ask the intimidator, “Where you trying to sound intimidating?” or “Was that supposed to be dramatic?” These phrases simply say that intimidation is not going to work here.
If you feel that you need career guidance or counselling on how to deal with workplace challenges, book a session with SPETIV Consulting immediately. You don’t need to face this alone when you can be effectively assisted.
