Q. What makes this workbook different from others?
A. It is written by a practicing mental health clinician and not someone with a background in personnel management or industrial psychology. As a clinician is always concerned with the health and well-being of his client, this workbook is written with the best interests of the individual employee in mind.
Q. Is Dealing with Workplace Bullying effective for everyone?
A. Yes, the material is written to be beneficial to a wide range of personalities and situations.
Q. Isn’t workplace bullying illegal?
A. People often confuse bullying with harassment, which is a form of discrimination based on various defined categories. While there is a good deal of overlap between the two, as of this writing, only harassment is illegal. While deplorable, workplace bullying is not illegal.
Q. How does this workbook work?
A. The workbook consists of four sections: the text, an illustrative fictional narrative, questions to ponder and supplemental readings. The text provides the information and the narratives illustrate and augment the text. The food-for-thought sections and supplemental readings reinforce critical take-away points.
Q. I know that it is important to be assertive when dealing with a bully. What if I’m not a particularly assertive person?
A. There is a specific, step-by-step guide on demonstrating assertiveness and information on how and when to assert yourself appropriately.
Q. What if it’s my boss who is the bully?
A. Many are. There is an entire section in Dealing with Workplace Bullying that covers this topic in detail.
Q. Shouldn’t I be able to go to Human Resources department for help in dealing with bullying?
A. Yes, but you must know when and how to approach the authorities in your company, to avoid coming across as a problematic employee. A section of Dealing with Workplace Bullying deals with this issue
Q. I’ve often heard that the best way to deal with a bully is to fight him back. Do you agree?
A. If you mean responding to the bad behavior of the bully with bad behavior of your own, no. I teach that assertively confronting the bad behavior of the bully with a healthy, mature and professional response is the best approach.
Q. From where are the course materials drawn?
A. From two sources: my own thirty-five years of clinical experience and a thorough review of the latest psychological studies on the subject.
Q. What qualifications do you hold for writing this workbook?
A. I have a Master’s Degree in counseling, am a licensed Mental Health Counselor in the state of New York and have over thirty-five years of successful clinical experience.