Coach DianaE "Talk it Out: From A to Z - The Alphabet of Life

Inside the Mind, Motives, and Mayhem of Bullies

Bullies are everywhere. Many have personal issues they want to hide—especially problems in their relationships. On the surface they may be surrounded by people, but in reality there’s no one who truly knows them.

Bullying has always existed, but in our era we’re more aware of it and have given it labels everyone can relate to. Before, people called bullies names like bida-bida, pabibo, papampam, or epal. Now we recognize the pattern more clearly.

In schools, some students skip class because of bullying. Others remain quiet; worse, some shut down and isolate themselves. The same thing happens at work: employees stay silent or keep their heads down so they won’t attract a bully’s attention.

But my question is: are we just going to stay quiet so bullies won’t pick on us?

How can we manage them? This article shares only my personal experience — I’m not an expert, just offering observations from nearly 30 years working in Human Resources.

At work, bullies are often people in high-ranking positions. They pick on lower-level employees and make fun of them. Bullies are insecure individuals hiding behind titles. They attack others to cover their inequities and fears — often terrified of losing control.

They bully to feel better about themselves, or maybe because they’re so miserable they want others to feel miserable too.

Bullies are destructive because not everyone is wired to withstand bullying. Each of us has a threshold. When that threshold is crossed, the targeted person will begin to withdraw, may suffer emotional or mental breakdown, and often will eventually quit.

My suggestion (again, I’m not an expert): confront the bully. If the bully holds a high position, report them to your immediate supervisor, HR department, or management. If no action is taken, talk to the bully directly and ask what’s causing them to behave this way. Confrontation exposes their inner wounds; some will fall silent, others may retaliate.

Bullies should not always receive silent treatment. You can call out their behavior and make it clear it’s unacceptable. Give them feedback — a dose of their own medicine, so to speak — but stay professional and safe.

If, after confronting them, the bully continues or retaliates, leave and don’t look back. Once you expose a bully’s insecurity, they may try to bully others, but they are weakened by being called out.

This article does not intend to demean bullies. Rather, it’s a call to stand up for those who suffer in silence, hoping the bully will change. We should not be tolerant of bullying. Confront it head-on and hold bullies accountable.

How Leadership Influences Attrition

Often, it’s not about salary or benefits. Employees leave when they feel unheard or undervalued. Leaders who ignore concerns send a message that people are just numbers. Contributions from long-term employees are overlooked.

Attrition is not just an HR problem. High attrition is a signal that something deeper is wrong. HR, management, and department heads must work together to retain talent. People leave when they feel unheard, undervalued or ignored by leadership. Listening to feedback matters, small problems can grow into big ones if ignored, like a snowball rolling downhill.

High attrition also costs the company money—recruiting, onboarding, and training new employees is expensive. Preventing turnover requires creating a culture where people feel heard, valued, and motivated to stay. Leadership makes all the difference.

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Rethinking the Role of Human Resources

I often feel uneasy when I come across materials that depict HR as merely the department responsible for handling employee concerns or absorbing blame on behalf of management. This narrow view overlooks the true value HR brings to the organization.
HR professionals are not caretakers or scapegoats — they are strategic partners just like other departments. They are human beings with expertise, insight, and empathy. They understand both the people and the business, and their role is critical to building a healthy and high-performing organizations.

It’s time we see a generation of HR leaders who not only manage people operations but also have a voice in the boardroom. Yes, HR is often labeled a cost center, but their impact on culture, retention, leadership, and organizational health is immeasurable.

Their contribution extends far beyond hiring, performance evaluation, employee engagement, timekeeping, payroll , benefits and termination. They deserve a respected, strategic seat at the table. HR is one of the key pillars in the organization.

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/diana-enriquez-47b85250_rethinking-the-role-of-human-resources-i-share-7385668404717838336-TEdN?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAArNxR8Bja9M8UUMItzAdvsYwnvhZa4DBPc

The year I finally followed my interest in Neuro-Linguistic Programming.

A helpful Nudge- #1

Workplace Power Games and What to Do ?

1st: Check the profile of the person creating organizational politics. If the person is doing this for personal gain, just continue doing your job well and watch the other person slowly lose grip on their main job because they are too busy checking other people’s work.
2nd: Assess if the issue being raised is legitimate or valid enough. It’s also a good idea to do a self-assessment—maybe the other person is right, and it’s not really "office politics" but rather an attempt to call your attention to areas where you can improve.

A person who loves creating workplace power games or drama in the workplace is usually lazy, unproductive, and often "corrupt." This person wants to shift management's attention to someone else so they can avoid scrutiny and the spotlight being on them.

As an employee, what you can do is report it to management. If management chooses to listen and investigate, continue doing your job. BUT if management decides not to listen, investigate, or provide fair judgment, maybe it's time for you to move on and leave them to deal with their mess.

Remember! The fact that someone is trying to malign you and create drama around you means you’re someone who can’t be defeated because your excellent performance speaks for itself. And you can carry this with you wherever you go.

Fostering a Culture of Positive Work Environment : A Leader’s Guide

A leader's commitment to promoting a culture of a positive work environment must be in place. Leaders play a vital role in executing this by staying on top of situations and remaining objective at all times. No one can genuinely promote this kind of culture if a leader uses it solely to serve his or her own interests. The leadership role should not be imposed as if being constantly challenged, a leader should be objective all the time . The maturity level of a leader is very crucial in executing this and eventually give positive influence to other members.

A leader must be fair in all judgments and situations, regardless of who is involved or what is being said. Any comment or feedback should be taken constructively and professionally. A leader should guide their team toward making things work for the benefit of the group and the entire organization—with no prejudice and no bias.

Cliché as it may sound, open communication between parties encourages trust and builds lasting relationships. This is especially important when there is one common goal that needs to be achieved. Open communication means encouraging one another to share and discuss ideas—even if those ideas differ from others'. A positive culture promotes this as the healthy exchange of ideas, not as something that undermines another person’s contribution.

Through communication and trust, strategic partnership naturally follow. Each team member will feel more open and confident to share what’s on their mind. Everyone will take turns supporting one another and lifting each other up.

When communication, trust, and strategic partnership are established, members will feel safe. They’ll be encouraged to contribute to the team—whether in small or big ways—without fear of making mistakes, because they know that mistakes are opportunities for learning, not for judgment.

Coach DianaE "Talk it Out: From A to Z - The Alphabet of Life Human Resources Professional /Certified Time Line Therapy (r) Practitioner, Certified Hypnotherapy Practitioner, Certified NLP Practitioner and Coach

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