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There is sometimes a problem when you find a person in a workplace that enjoys to target one person and humiliates him/her in public (in front of other coworkers).

The person for example points that the target "does not know any better", "is a little bit of a person", changes the last name of the target to a joke to laugh at with the rest of coworkers...

Is there a guide on how to professionally yet efficiently deal with difficult personalities who cannot be avoided (in the workplace for example)? How could the manager (third-person) deal with this scenario in case it happens within his/her team?

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  • I see your point, but I wanted to use the technical term for it, there are training on how to deal with difficult personalities at work. That is all. I want to stay objective and not judge.
    – Bionix1441
    Commented Mar 1, 2018 at 16:35
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    OK I am just one vote but take your chances this get closed.
    – paparazzo
    Commented Mar 1, 2018 at 16:37
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    "enjoys to target one person and humiliate" is basic bullying. There are several questions here: is the bully removable? Do they have power (direct or indirect)? Who has power over them? Is the bully also the manager? Who is willing to help? How will the manager know? etc, that can completely change the question. Can you clarify?
    – bobflux
    Commented Mar 1, 2018 at 16:59
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    There are whole books about dealing with bullying in the workplace. This question is too broad.
    – Philipp
    Commented Mar 1, 2018 at 17:33
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    @RichardU I have updated the subject with some examples of sentences.
    – Bionix1441
    Commented Mar 1, 2018 at 18:38

4 Answers 4

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How should the manager(third-person) deal with this scenario in case it happens within his/her team?

That manager should have a one-on-one meeting with this person, and ask about the reasons for this behavior.

That manager should also let that person know this type of behavior is not acceptable nor professional, and that he should try to behave up to those standards.

If this continues, then that manager should take stronger measures to ensure this does not continue, but that is something only that manager knows and can decide.

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    I'd even consider inviting HR to that meeting. That would lend an air of absolute seriousness to it.
    – ChrisLively
    Commented Mar 1, 2018 at 19:48
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    @NotMe yes, that's an option if that manager wants to do this more publicly.
    – DarkCygnus ♦
    Commented Mar 1, 2018 at 21:02
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You can first attack the "public" part of it, call the involved parts to a private place to continue dealing with the issue.

Also something to note is that public humiliation(an example could use since we don't know what you mean with that and could be overreacting) is a very serious fault, and cannot be tolerated more than once without taking disciplinary actions.

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Such a situation calls for being able to communicate assertively and expressing your disinterest about the treatment you are getting and highlighting that its not affecting you in a joyous way from within.If that doesn't work, you need to escalate it internally to your team leader first, and then to the manager ( in case there is hierarchical system)

You also need to maintain boundaries at work and highlight assertively in powerful tone about any discussions that are off topic stating you are not keen to indulge in them.

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Most importantly, has anyone complained about this kind of bullying to you or any one in general?
If there is no victim, no complaint, then, what you are trying to do is akin to social service. You may or may not get desired and positive results.
If you strongly want to tackle the situation, you need to take the so called victims into confidence. Not instigate or coax them, but make them complain instead of you asking them to.
Once a formal complain has lodged, you can take to the bully, in private or with the team as the situation demands.

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