Psychological Abuse At The Workplace

PROFILE OF THE PSYCHOLOGICAL ABUSER

Interpersonal skills refers to the way the abuser and the target tend to communicate with those around them at work.  It also includes the way attitudes are communicated to others. 

Workstyle refers to the methods used for getting tasks completed at work.  This includes the individual worker’s preferred way of working as well as their preferred method of getting others to carry out tasks for them.

Insecurity refers to the concerns and emotional burdens carried by the abuser and the target during the time of the abuse.

Profile of the psychological abuser in the workplace

Category	Description
Interpersonal skills	dominates and controls interpersonal communication intolerant of individual differences fearful and suspicious of other’s motives keeps emotional distance prone to anger and irritability in conversations disinterested in other’s needs
Work style	refrains from delegating responsibility conveys instructions and directions imprecisely avoids working in a team not of their choosing maintains the status quo at all costs reiterates historical successes demands unrealistic expectations of workloads
Insecurity	needs to be seen as powerful and in full control over themselves and others resists all forms of audit of their field of influence creates crises and deals with them perpetuates martyrdom blames others or the system for all imperfections

Reproduced with the express permission of Robyn Mann (2000).

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