Books, Workplace Bullying and Courage at the Top

gottathink

The Living Force
FOTCM Member
I would like to recommend these two titles by Andrea Needham: 'Workplace Bullying- The Costly Business Secret' and 'Courage at the Top- Igniting the Leadership Fire.'
The author with many years as a human resources and management consultant has written a very accessible and relevant book for the many good people who are targeted by chronic bully's in the work place. In 'Courage at the Top' she goes on to state that these people are workplace psychopaths. She gives strategies and practical advice for colleagues and management to deal or rather eliminate this problem from their environment.
This is a New Zealand author recently deceased (the books may be out of print in NZ), these books are hard to get (ie over $100 on Amazon)and I have snapped them up from second hand book sellers to loan out to anyone I know who would benefit.
 
I am currently fighting my former local authority employer. My union refused to help as they hire third party solicitors who will only back cases that have 90% chance of winning. My chance, as advised by a citizens advice bureau is 50-50. 50% chance is more than enough to make it worth fighting for. It's getting dirtier, but I am learning a great deal from it all. It's hard to stop it dominating my life though. The psychopathy of the authority is so obvious and blatant. The programming of their representatives so transparent - pure robots.


I would certainly be interested in reading the books you mentioned, gottathink. I am writing one myself.
 
I am very sorry Paddyjohn, it was rude of me to not to reply in a reasonable time.
I have my books loaned out to people in my community at present and was feeling a bit unsure of how to reply to your post.
First I thought to ask, which country are you in? Would it then be best to post books to you or access another copy from fishpond.co.nz (where I got mine second hand)?

Let me know what you think would be the best way I can get you access to these books, again firstly where are you? I am in New Zealand. As far as I know they are not available on kindle.

another resource is, which was developed after Andrea Needhams research was published. It may be helpful.

http://www.business.govt.nz/worksafe/tools-resources/bullying-prevention-tools
 
Hi gottathink


I'm in the UK and it would probably be more trouble than it's worth, and expensive, to send books over, and then back again. No worries. My particular fight may be approaching critical point after I took action to rattle my former employee - a one-man protest with placard outside the HQ, and a blog. I should also hear today if my solicitor is going to fight my case in employment tribunal. So far it has been an in-house process.


So thanks anyway. I've learned a lot along the way, and intend, once this is all over, for my blog to develop in a less personal way and more as a resource for other people in the same and similar situation.
 
Hi Paddyjohn,
Good on you, a placard and protest, that takes courage.
I met a man recently, who experienced seizures and major health problems related to the stress of being bullied by a female boss in a law firm. He took a deep breath and told me his story, his wife explained that was the first time he had shared his experience outside of therapy. Because I was aware of psychopaths in the work place and had supported my husband through his experience I was able to lend a compassionate ear. Brilliant and brave people have been completely devastated by these creeps for eons. Your blog and writing I am sure is/will be well utilised. The more people aware, the better support anyone who is targeted, can receive.
Awareness here in New Zealand has been increasing, over the past two to three years I have seen articles in the newspapers about work place bullying as well as an organisation called 'Bullyfree Bro' educating the public and kids against bullying.
It is amazing how many people have and are experiencing this.
Keep us posted on how it goes. Best wishes and good luck if it's needed.
 
Feedback like you have just given me is priceless, gottathink. As I'm sure you know the process of a worker fighting an employer can be a lonely one in a sense. Loved ones and friends are with you but it doesn't take much for a touch of fear or self-doubt to creep in. When I wake up in the morning I have to have a word with myself to remind myself why I am doing it. When I get encouragement like yours it all becomes crystal clear again.


The system knows all this of course and their strategy is one of protraction in order to wear you down and encourage those thoughts of self-doubt. Well, **** 'em. With people like you and my supporters here in the UK I have everything I need.


Many, many thanks, GT.
 
Yep know there are thousands out there that need people to fight so that they can too. :)
 
Paddyjohn,
how are you doing, I hope you have support around you, it can be a lonely fight?
 
The company demanded the web hosting company take down my blog. They said it was slanderous. I pointed out that to be slanderous statements have to be false - mine are true. Unfortunately the web host didn't want any trouble - said there was no proof on the blog that what I was saying was true - so we came to an agreement. The front page now has this on it:



Most of this Blog has been taken down at the request of South Norfolk Council.It says there was defamatory content on my blog. There wasn’t, but in order to comply with the acceptable use policy of my web-host I have agreed to the removal of the content that concerns the council and my web-host. Twitter: @staffdump
There are no links to the posts now. I am running out of money so have to find work. Our beloved cat is very ill and needs a lot of attention. Being on Twitter drew me into a lot of work regarding Gaza and Ukraine, UK corruption, paedophilia etc. Lots of things going on and I am unaware of where to go next in my fight against the company. Have decided to leave it for now - complete my book about corporate bullying, and attend to the other things in my life.

I might get a new rush of energy. I use my anger against the company as fuel to fight them. But the anger - all anger - is damaging me, I think. Need to stand back and take a good look.


Many thanks to you, gottathink.
 
Yeah, that is how it goes , unfortunately for everyone who stands up, and we all do it anyway! Thats what counts, I heard a story last week of an amazing teacher at a private Catholic School was plotted against and she managed to get out alive. She is now at a school who utilise her phenomenal talent and passion for her work.
Thank you for your courage, here's a great and funny quote I read and I don't recall who to attribute it to unfortunately.
"I want to live in a way that each morning the devil says, Shit! he's up".
 
Ha! Perfect quote, and a great one to live by. I would love to read that teacher's story. I'll let you know when my book is ready. I can always wing you over a pdf copy if you were interested.
 
Yes I would be very interested in your book. The teacher is a new friend of mine and the story blew me away. She also said that she has learnt to navigate these types of people and situations. I will ask her if she would have any interest in writing her story. It is easy to muddle along thinking that psychopathy only happens in institutions but the psychos are dispersed throughout our worlds. The fight to me seems parallel to what is going on at a higher level. I have been amazed at what I see when I have opened my eyes. So many people are relieved to have someone listen to their experiences of work place bullying and take them seriously.
 
I totally agree, gottathink. I recently started using Twitter in my fight against my former employer. Very soon I found myself embroiled in the situations in Gaza and Ukraine. I then realised that workplace bullying is exactly the same as what's taking place across the planet - Gaza, Ukraine, Syria, and all the countries where the West has gone into causing death and mayhem in its push for control.


The macro-bully and the micro-bully. Just a difference scale. As you say, 'navigating' the bully and the situations it creates can be learned. Obviously that's what this forum is all about.


And I also learned that workplace bullying is absolutely rife in the world - pandemic - far more prevalent than I was aware of anyway. If we include neutralising in the term 'navigating' then maybe acting against workplace bullying will have some effect on the macro-bully.
 
And I also learned that workplace bullying is absolutely rife in the world - pandemic - far more prevalent than I was aware of anyway. If we include neutralising in the term 'navigating' then maybe acting against workplace bullying will have some effect on the macro-bully.

Yes I think so, it is all or nothing, we all fight or we all don't. Last night my husbands employer did a complete about face in my husbands fight to get a colleague of his exposed. His boss has all of a sudden changed his mind and is taking my husband seriously, some sort of an epiphany perhaps. We shall see in time. But it is getting stranger by the minute. It feels like we need to all keep going, be uncompromising and relentless with no fear, then at the very last minute "all the grand designs will be revealed" (From 'The Counseller' movie)
 
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