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A Trusted Mentor Can Help You Overcome Anxiety, Grief and Bullying in the Workplace

Written by: Flo Schell

Article Overview: If ever there was a time to consider working with a trusted Mentor, it is now. Since the economic downturn of September, 2008, workplace distress is on the rise.

A Trusted Mentor Can Help You Overcome Anxiety, Grief and Bullying in the Workplace

If ever there was a time to consider working with a trusted Mentor, it is now. Since the economic downturn of September, 2008, workplace distress is on the rise.

The Situation

Today’s workers find themselves in an atmosphere of workplace insecurity and insistence on increased productivity. Add to this the stresses of difficult supervisors, over-expectant work cultures, and workplace bullying, and you’ve got a lot for a worker to handle.

It is no surprise that today’s workers are looking over their shoulders at every moment. They have seen their organizations lay off co-workers and are wondering if they will go next.

Experts have been weighing in on how this affects the workers that remain.

HR consultant, Nancye Combs, says that remaining employees actually go through a grieving process when co-workers are laid off unexpectedly. She says that sudden change can create insecurity and fear.

The truth is that not only are the remaining workers scared of being next in line for lay-off, they are often doing even more work and feeling less appreciated than ever.

It is no surprise then that workplace anxiety is on the rise. In a recent study reported by Ken Blanchard, when asked how much economic anxiety is present in today’s workplace, over 1000 employees responded this way:

Severe and High Anxiety in the Workplace: 29%

Some Anxiety in the Workplace: 56%

Low or No Anxiety in the Workplace: 15%

One can imagine that workplace bullying is reaching all time highs, too.

Bullying is defined as “sabotage that prevents works from getting done, verbal abuse, threatening conduct, intimidation, humiliation, or exploitation of a known vulnerability,” by the Workplace Bullying Institute.



A whopping 27.5% of adult workers surveyed in a random sample say that workplace bullying got worse after the economy change

Another 22% of adults in this sample said that they were subject to workplace bullying for the first time after September, 2008.

Still another 27.5% said the bullying became more severe or frequent.

What is a worker to do?

1. Realize that no one has to go it alone. Create a solid support team that you trust implicitly. Talk things over with your team before reacting.
2. Learn the personality types of the people in your organization.
3. Create a strategy for dealing with each personality type in your environment. (This de-personalizes what you’re going through and is an effective technique for handling the real people in your environment.)
4. Consider working with an experienced third party Mentor: someone objective and caring that is outside of your organization and can become a trusted advisor to you; someone that has experience with what you’re going through; and someone that has successfully thrived despite difficult hurdles themselves.

Finally, realize that the repercussions of this economy may go on for some time.

Waiting for the ax to fall would be foolish; preparing yourself for any eventuality is smart.

© Franchise Coaching Systems 2009

Related Articles
  Relationships: The Key to Organizational Success
  Workplace Bullying: 7 Ways to Ward Off the Bully
  Bullying - From The Playground To The Workplace
  How to Find the Best Mentor for Your Needs
  Tough on Bullying

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Post subject: It's Not Personal, just business - I so agree! Actually, the business world as we know it IS in trouble. I heard some stats last week that they expect by the time 2050 that 70% of workers will be freelancers. Employee/Executive Bullying won't be able to stand it when it could be easier for someone to simply contract with the nicer guy (or gal). I, for one, will be choosing the nicer ones!
Famous Entrepreneur Question? - First name to come to mind was Sam Walton. After reading his aoutbiography, I feel so connected to him. My one Question would be...(after getting on one knee) "Would You Mentor Me?''
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Book: The 1-Minute Millionaire: The Enlightened Way to Wealt - Book:The One Minute Millionaire: The Enlightened Way to Wealth Robert G. Allen (co-author of Chicken Soup for the Soul) 2002 Jacket: Is it possible to make a million dollars in only one minute? The answer just might surprise you. [This book] is an entirely new approach, a life changing "millionaire system" that will teach you how to: 1. Create wealth even when you have little or nothing to start with 2. Use the power of leverage to build wealth rapidly 3. Overcome fears so you can take reasonable risks Use "one minute" habits to build wealth over the long term ...Here are two books in one, fiction and non-fiction, designed to address two kinds of learning so you can fully integrate these life-changing lessons. On the right-hand side pages you will find the fictional story of a woman who has to make a million dollars in ninety days or lose her two children forever. The left-hand pages give the practical, step-by-step non-fiction strategies and techniques that actually work in the real world.


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