When Is A Bully Not A Bully?

[Keith_M]

The response of the man who has just been found guilty of bullying his stuff by a Government Committee, Dominic Raab, was...

“I am genuinely sorry for any unintended stress or offence that any officials felt, as a result of the pace, standards and challenge that I brought to the Ministry of Justice,”

This is the archetypal non-apology, basically blaming the victims. The fault was clearly not with him, but with the bullying victims for misinterpreting his clearly high 'standards', obviously developed during his amazingly successful career.


I though this was a good summation in The Independent

"The Whitehall machine, the establishment, the blob, they just couldn’t keep up with the guy who will for ever be best known for trying to evacuate Kabul while being unable to evacuate himself from his hotel in Crete, before offering in mitigation the fact that the “sea was closed” and then accidentally filling up the planes with dogs instead of people."
https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/dominic-raab-resigns-rishi-sunak-b2324294.html

---

I've been reading various articles on his resignation and some of it just sounded so familiar. I've recently watched similar goings on at my own place of employment.

Our 'Dominic Raab' is the crazed CEO that describes his company as being like a 'family', and encourages everybody to always feel comfortable to openly ask any question.... then goes into a total meltdown whenever somebody actually follows that advice and asks him something awkward.

Following meetings then see various employees sitting in fear, terrified to say anything, while he lambasts them for their obvious lack of interest because they're all sitting their quietly, with a terrified smile on their faces.


Sadly these evil pr1cks are everywhere.

[Jim44]

Prick. Not very constructive but heartfelt.:greengrin

[Keith_M]

Prick. Not very constructive but heartfelt.:greengrin


Very accurate, though


:greengrin

[Smartie]

The response of the man who has just been found guilty of bullying his stuff by a Government Committee, Dominic Raab, was...

“I am genuinely sorry for any unintended stress or offence that any officials felt, as a result of the pace, standards and challenge that I brought to the Ministry of Justice,”

This is the archetypal non-apology, basically blaming the victims. The fault was clearly not with him, but with the bullying victims for misinterpreting his clearly high 'standards', obviously developed during his amazingly successful career.


I though this was a good summation in The Independent

"The Whitehall machine, the establishment, the blob, they just couldn’t keep up with the guy who will for ever be best known for trying to evacuate Kabul while being unable to evacuate himself from his hotel in Crete, before offering in mitigation the fact that the “sea was closed” and then accidentally filling up the planes with dogs instead of people."
https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/dominic-raab-resigns-rishi-sunak-b2324294.html

---

I've been reading various articles on his resignation and some of it just sounded so familiar. I've recently watched similar goings on at my own place of employment.

Our 'Dominic Raab' is the crazed CEO that describes his company as being like a 'family', and encourages everybody to always feel comfortable to openly ask any question.... then goes into a total meltdown whenever somebody actually follows that advice and asks him something awkward.

Following meetings then see various employees sitting in fear, terrified to say anything, while he lambasts them for their obvious lack of interest because they're all sitting their quietly, with a terrified smile on their faces.


Sadly these evil pr1cks are everywhere.

Not saying there aren't too many of them but I don't agree that they are everywhere.

Bullying isn't really the way to go any more, whether you are a cabinet minister, a football manager or a CEO.

He's got his comeuppance because he crossed a line that the vast majority of people manage not to.

The resignation letter is as vile as he is and you'd like to think that anyone sensible would think long and hard before giving him any sort of opportunity in future as he has clearly learned nothing from the experience.

[Bostonhibby]

When he is a Nasty Party minister and gets a chance to resign first, despite potential previous stretching back to 2007?

Sent from my SM-A750FN using Tapatalk

[Keith_M]

Not saying there aren't too many of them but I don't agree that they are everywhere.

Bullying isn't really the way to go any more, whether you are a cabinet minister, a football manager or a CEO.

He's got his comeuppance because he crossed a line that the vast majority of people manage not to.

The resignation letter is as vile as he is and you'd like to think that anyone sensible would think long and hard before giving him any sort of opportunity in future as he has clearly learned nothing from the experience.


I suppose it's a matter of interpretation but I wasn't meaning it as literally everywhere.

The sad thing is, though, that they are in positions of power in so many environments. You'd be surprised at how many places of work I've seen these people operate.

In my personal experience, it's especially bad in companies that work in finance/banking (though that's obviously just one person's experience).

[Skol]

The response of the man who has just been found guilty of bullying his stuff by a Government Committee, Dominic Raab, was...

“I am genuinely sorry for any unintended stress or offence that any officials felt, as a result of the pace, standards and challenge that I brought to the Ministry of Justice,”

This is the archetypal non-apology, basically blaming the victims. The fault was clearly not with him, but with the bullying victims for misinterpreting his clearly high 'standards', obviously developed during his amazingly successful career.


I though this was a good summation in The Independent

"The Whitehall machine, the establishment, the blob, they just couldn’t keep up with the guy who will for ever be best known for trying to evacuate Kabul while being unable to evacuate himself from his hotel in Crete, before offering in mitigation the fact that the “sea was closed” and then accidentally filling up the planes with dogs instead of people."
https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/dominic-raab-resigns-rishi-sunak-b2324294.html

---

I've been reading various articles on his resignation and some of it just sounded so familiar. I've recently watched similar goings on at my own place of employment.

Our 'Dominic Raab' is the crazed CEO that describes his company as being like a 'family', and encourages everybody to always feel comfortable to openly ask any question.... then goes into a total meltdown whenever somebody actually follows that advice and asks him something awkward.

Following meetings then see various employees sitting in fear, terrified to say anything, while he lambasts them for their obvious lack of interest because they're all sitting their quietly, with a terrified smile on their faces.


Sadly these evil pr1cks are everywhere.

I have never witnessed any kind of bullying but have seen and continue to see rank bad management

[Edina Street]

Labelling someone a bully is not really an effective way of getting them to change their ways, as some individuals actually may take being called a bully as a compliment. A badge of honour even. It is far more effective to call it out for what it is. An "abuser" abusing people. Nobody wants to be identified as being an abuser. Not even a bully. Nobody wants to be accused of harrassment. Not even a bully. Nobody wants to be accused of stalking. Not even a bully. This is speaking a language that the bully understands. But simply accusing them of being a bully may just give the false impression that one is over sensitive and needs to toughen up.

[ballengeich]

The sad thing is, though, that they are in positions of power in so many environments. You'd be surprised at how many places of work I've seen these people operate.

In my personal experience, it's especially bad in companies that work in finance/banking (though that's obviously just one person's experience).
From my own experience, mainly in insurance, I'd say that the very aggressive (he sees it as demanding) approach Raab feels is justifiable is not only damaging to the individuals who suffer at his hands but bad for an organisation. People with constructive alternative ideas to those of the boss either keep quiet and toe the line or leave.

The individual in power gradually finds himself with subordinates who won't question him. That suits the individual but doesn't help the business. From what I've read, Fred Goodwin at RBS was the ultimate example of this.

I worked in a company that met a similar fate to RBS. The chief executive was focused on sales growth. People who argued with him that sales growth based on selling too cheaply was not a good long term strategy suddenly left by mutual consent. The end result was the same as for RBS.

As a sideline, a few years ago I heard a radio programme where it was claimed that the reason that Alec Salmond was able to lead his party so long was that he not only allowed, but expected that members of his staff would challenge him. His wrong ideas got stopped very early. However, once a decision had been taken everyone had to stand behind it. I've also heard on a radio programme that the British Army works the same way.