What Is Gaslighting At Work And How Can Managers Deal With It?

What Is Gaslighting, And How Does It Manifest Itself At Work?

According to a study, employees feel less committed to their organization when they’re gaslighted by their supervisors. What does gaslighting mean? Gaslighters manipulate others psychologically to shift blame and refuse to accept any responsibility for their mistakes and wrongdoings. Victims start questioning their sanity and memory, while gaslighters use their insecurities to control others. Some of the most common gaslighting phrases include, “What are you talking about?” “I didn’t say that,” and “Don’t be so sensitive.” People who show this type of behavior usually suffer from low self-esteem and insecurities and have manipulative personalities. When this occurs in the workplace, resolving the conflict can be tricky. However, if all team members address it delicately, these phenomena can be eliminated. Let’s see how you can spot gaslighting at work as well as how you can effectively overcome it.

4 Signs Of Gaslighting At Work

1. False Accusations

Gaslighters tend to lie regarding their behavior and other people’s actions. They may also accuse others of mistakes that they are responsible for making. For example, they may have missed checking a report sent to them and, therefore, missed an important deadline. Instead of owning up to their mistake, they may accuse a colleague of forgetting to send them the report. In cases where the gaslighter is a manager or leader, they may constantly spread negative comments or rumors about an employee’s performance. These comments are usually unjustified and poorly explained. Their goal is to overfill others with negative emotions about their peers in order to elevate their own characters.

2. Lying And Omitting Information

Employees and managers who are gaslighters often make statements and create rules they rarely follow. For instance, a leader may keep telling the workforce that punctuality is important. Still, they are habitually late, showing that they are unable to serve as a good example for their team. Also, they might purposely omit important information from your conversations to blame others later. For example, someone in a position of power can ask a team member to complete tasks without mentioning deadlines or expectations. When the employee misses the deadline, the manager may pass all the blame onto them. As a result, the worker will feel as though they underperformed.

3. Exclusion From Professional Activities

Being excluded from one meeting doesn’t mean that someone is gaslighted. However, when this is a pattern and employees find themselves missing multiple meetings, it might be because somebody wishes to keep them out of the loop. Maybe it’s a coworker or a manager who doesn’t want them to be aware of new developments. This way, victims don’t have the information they need to be productive and effective, and they may miss out on new opportunities in their careers. People may even be excluded from team-building activities on purpose because their gaslighters want to isolate them from their peers.

4. Selective Listening And Victim Blaming

In some cases, colleagues refuse to even listen to others’ concerns or simply brush them off. This is a clear sign of gaslighting at work. Or, managers may choose to ignore certain pieces of information employees discuss with them and only pay attention to things they care about. As a result, they create feelings of self-doubt in others and make them second-guess their communication skills. When employees confront managers about being excluded from an important meeting, the latter may blame them for victimizing themselves, for instance. This shift of blame causes some workers to feel isolated and hurts their self-esteem.

Ways Employees And Management Can Overcome Gaslighting At Work

Training

Since gaslighting is a relatively new term, professionals must educate themselves and learn to spot the signs. Identifying gaslighting at work is the first step to addressing it. Workers can talk to their management and ask for help when they see it happen to other employees. However, if it’s their manager who is being abusive, they can turn to their managers’ supervisors or HR for help. Those people can step in and organize training courses for every team member, regardless of rank. They must create zero-tolerance policies that clearly state what gaslighting is and what the consequences are. When someone refuses to abide by these rules, the company should consider letting them go so as not to jeopardize team dynamics.

Distancing When Possible

Often, when gaslighting takes place at work, individuals feel pressured to make a decision or respond on the spot. If you’re dealing with strong emotions, you can take a break and distance yourself from the gaslighter. This will help you see things clearly and realize that you have not made any mistakes. Practicing self-care will also help you improve your self-esteem and keep your emotional well-being in check.

Hire Based On Company Culture

Organizations can tackle the issue of gaslighting before it even arises by creating a strong culture and hiring employees that best align with their values. By being transparent about how the company operates and its expectations, upper management can create a united workforce that works hand-in-hand to accomplish corporate goals. Additionally, businesses may want to perform psychological check-ins and encourage everyone to share any issues they might be facing. Questions like “How comfortable do you feel sharing ideas?” and “What can we do to make the workplace environment more positive?” will make people feel valued and increase their engagement.

Conclusion

Professionals should know that gaslighting at work falls under harassment and discrimination policies. Companies that allow this sort of behavior are not only in danger of legal action but also jeopardize their success. So, spot the signs early and tackle the problem at its roots, keeping your workplace a safe space for everyone.