What is Mobbing at Work? 5 | Bonus

On this episode of the Radical Candor podcast, we're dropping a bonus episode from Kim's Just Work podcast featuring a conversation about mobbing, a form of group bullying. Mobbing involves a group of people working together directly or indirectly to remove the targeted individual. Mobbing is rooted in groupthink and group aggression with underlying elements of fear, competition, and envy. Unlike bullying, mobbing is not hierarchical. The target is usually labeled the troublemaker and is isolated within the organization.

Listen to the episode:

Radical Candor Podcast Episode At a Glance: Mobbing

Wesley Faulkner, who has led developer relations and been a community manager at a number of tech companies, joins Kim as co-host for season two of the Just Work podcast.

They talk to guests about their experiences with bias, prejudice, bullying, discrimination, harassment, and physical violations in the workplace. By sharing experiences, they help to build community and to help listeners recognize problems they are experiencing at work, and get some ideas about how to handle them.

On this episode, Kim and Wesley talk to Delia Grenville, a senior executive leader, process-driven change agent, large-scale technology change and business innovation strategist, about how institutional betrayal fueled mobbing in her workplace.

Leaders should be alert for mobbing in their organizations by looking for three indicators:

1. High performers are usually the target of mobbing, so leaders should watch for in-group/out-group behavior that excludes and attempts to alienate high performers.
2. The mob will attempt to push high-performing peers out the door and then huddle together to keep the door closed.
3. Worse yet, an organization’s people systems and practices might seal the door shut. Workplace mobs often use HR or leaders to sabotage or undermine the target.

All of these behaviors may be happening at once and may not be noticed at their onset. When these behaviors conspire and go unnoticed, a team or organization is in trouble.

@shelbarlow Reply to @kaylawayla888 and these are just a few examples … i could go on! #mobbing #toxicworkplace ♬ original sound - shelbarlow

Bullying & Mobbing at Work Resources

• This is What it Feels Like to be Bullied Out of a Job You Love, By Wesley Faulkner
• What Leaders Can Learn About “In-Group” Dynamics to Prevent Workplace Mobbing, By Delia Grenville
• Creating Consequences for Bullies
• Let’s Talk About Bullying In Remote Workplaces
• The Workplace Toolkit with Minda Harts
• Radical Respect: How to Work Better Together, By Kim Scott
• Freedom from Bullies
• How Does Stereotype Threat Affect Feedback?
• How to Overcome Protective Hesitation So EVERYONE Gets the Feedback They Deserve to Learn and Grow
• How to Combat Workplace Mobbing and Build a Healthier Organization

 
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Episodes are written and produced by Brandi Neal with script editing by Amy Sandler. The show features Radical Candor co-founders Kim Scott and Jason Rosoff and is hosted by Amy Sandler. Nick Carissimi is our audio engineer.

The Radical Candor Podcast theme music was composed by Cliff Goldmacher. Order his book: The Reason For The Rhymes: Mastering the Seven Essential Skills of Innovation by Learning to Write Songs.

 
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