By Neena Bhandari
Reforming bullies is very difficult, but training witnesses to intervene is an effective alternative.
Despite studies showing that bystander training is one of the most effective ways to reduce harassment and bullying in a workplace, it’s still rare. Dr David Rock, director of the NeuroLeadership Institute, has worked with several organisations to develop their strategies. He explains his philosophy through an expansion of a popular phrase.
“If you see something, you have a responsibility to say something, and you have an even bigger responsibility to say it in a way that’s helpful for the victim and perpetrator. The central challenge is to help bystanders feel more comfortable speaking up and a perpetrator less threatened when they’re called out,” Rock says.