Managing Stress for Success

Motivational Speaker Carole Spiers
helps you to nail e-threats

Cyber-bullying is an unwanted side-effect of the hi-tech office, where you're never far from your screen, and emails, text and video can be conveniently accessed on a BlackBerry or other cellphone, 24/7 anywhere in the world.

Any communication medium can provide a channel for bullying, but interactive dialogue presents bullies with many tempting new ways to inflict their torture. However, unless the sender has managed to use sophisticated anonymity software the emails can be traced and the offender dealt-with.

Even more hurtful is bullying via the social networking sites, with their huge global visibility and instant impact. The dilemma here is that if the company decides to block the relevant site, they may be rejecting one of their own important marketing and recruitment channels.

Unauthorised Access

Most sinister of all, however, is potential abuse of the powerful new Big Brother software that includes surveillance of internet use. The acquiring of personal information by unauthorised access could lead to some truly vicious campaigns of secret bullying. To be a vulnerable employee, at risk not only from rogue colleagues, but possibly from your own management that is meant to protect you, could cause untold stress and drive you into a desperate state of mind.

As with all workplace bullying, the practice needs to be rooted-out with an increased degree of urgency, but the bully – if unmasked - may rely on an employer's reluctance to face an investigation or lengthy tribunal . One alternative is mediation, taking care to use a neutral outsider in such a sensitive context.

Line managers might well be advised to analyse the specific factors that has encouraged cyber-bullying to flourish in the first place. The mischief may be a reaction against pressure and subsequent stress that is created, by working remotely, the long hours culture and lack of personal supervision Such conditions negate the proven management style of direct dialogue, debate and eye-contact. Keeping the technical and human elements of a department in balance may yet become the standard test of managerial competence.

Cyber-bullying - Summary

• Hi-tech communications have allowed a virulent cyber-bullying culture
• House rules need to be adapted in line with the relevant technology
• Managers should discourage total dependence on internal e-dialogue

Another key insight from Carole Spiers, International Leading Authority on Corporate Stress,
Motivational Speaker and BBC Broadcaster.