Bully Free Zone

That's what your practice should be.  Whether it's a staff member or a patient, there is no place in a happy, productive practice for a bully.

"Leadership is based on inspiration, not domination; on cooperation, not intimidation."

William Arthur Wood

Look at your staff on any given day.  Do they look like they are working with a purpose in mind, or do they look stressed and aggravated?  First, if you're the dentist or manager, make sure you're not a bully.  It's hard to look at our unpleasant side, but it's vital to do that if you want to be successful and happy.  How can you change or eliminate what you won't see?  OK, so, if you're not a bully, but your staff looks miserable, start paying attention.  Is there someone who gets in everyone else's face?  Maybe it's just the person who pushes their opinion so hard that no one else can contribute to staff meetings.  Try letting each team member lead part of a staff meeting and see how they handle it.  Hint:  the leader should facilitate, not dominate.  If, when they are leading, they are telling and never asking, you may have found your bully. Sometimes you can tame this person.  They may not realize they are taking over and shutting everyone else down.  Try to give them some ideas on how to respect and draw out the views of others and they may find themselves happier too. If they become aggressive or abusive when someone offers a different point of view, you've definitely found your bully.  I don't know if you can change her.

What if a new staff member comes in and starts throwing her weight around.  If the leader in this situation does not step up and handle the situation, he or she may find themselves in a world of trouble.  Nothing can disturb the peace more than a bully.  Staff look to the leader to handle a situation like this and will feel devalued and let down if he doesn't.  When you ask a team to commit to you and your practice you have to honor that commitment by addressing a bully.  If the bully happens to be someone in a position of influence over the staff, that magnifies your problem even more. Ask yourself why someone would come into a practice and try to intimidate.  The answer is simple, they don't see the potential in others and they have none of their own.  So before anyone starts challenging them or acts independently they will  put them in their place and hold them there with intimidation and aggression.  Guess how that's going to turn out? 

Keeping a bully on board is asking too much of everyone that has to try to function around them.  Because first of all, a team that may have thrived before will break down.  Team members will start talking about the bully.  They will feel guilty for talking about her.  They will resent the bully and then the leader for letting it go on.  Most of all they will resent the change in the culture of the practice.  If you made a mistake or got fooled and hired a bully, get them out of there.  Don't worry about unemployment, pay it, it's worth it in the stomach lining that you'll save, your's and everyone else's.  Your staff is watching, they are hoping you'll do the right thing.  Don't try to change a bully that intimidates and is aggressive, you'll waste your time and wear everyone down.  Employees like this are untameable, unteachable and therefore...unteamable.