1. With the easing of Covid-19 regulations and most companies enforcing a return to the office full-time, it’s important for workers to adopt a mindset shift and adjust to corporate culture. While most cultures are positive, one can’t deny their toxic side, including gaslighting. If you have never heard of the term, that’s probably because it’s a phenomenon that has existed for several years but only found a name in the modern era.
What exactly is gaslighting?
2. Gaslighting is a toxic behaviour that can exist in intimate relationships, families, with your doctor and even in the workplace. The term entered the public vocabulary after this behaviour became better identified and understood in personal, social and romantic relationships.
3. Psychologists define it as a form of mental manipulation that centres on creating self-doubt in the victim. They further assert that gaslighting is a technique and a form of abuse in which a bully or narcissist tries to convince someone that their reality is untrue, often used to gain control over them.
How does gaslighting impact workplace dynamics and employee well-being?, What are the potential consequences on individuals/overall work environment?
4. Interestingly, the term comes from a 1944 US psychological thriller Gaslight – based on a 1938 play by Patrick Hamilton – which follows a young woman whose husband slowly manipulates her into believing that she is becoming insane, by doing strange things around their house, including dimming the house’s gas lights, while trying to persuade her that nothing is out of the ordinary.
5. Although studies are not available in South Africa as to its prevalence, it’s closely linked to emotional abuse, which studies found that 16.1% of young people have experienced.
Gaslighting in the workplace
6. Debbie Goodman, CEO at Jack Hammer Global, Africa’s largest executive search firm, warns that when encountered in the workplace, it can have a distressing impact on both the victim and the culture and performance of teams and businesses, if not identified and dealt with.
What strategies or measures can organizations implement to prevent and address gaslighting behaviors?
7. Gaslighting, she adds, is hard to pinpoint because it is intended to confuse and make the victim question their sanity. She adds that since it is usually hidden and doesn’t break any policies or company rules, it can be hard to prove – often taking a toll on the victim’s physical and emotional wellness, which takes years to heal from.
8. “Very few people – if indeed any – can claim that they have never felt stressed or anxious as a result of challenging workplace relationships. Most working professionals have to manage complex relationships daily – perhaps with a colleague who is a jerk, with difficult clients or with a boss who falls short in the compassionate leadership department,” Goodman explains, adding:
9. An abusive boss or co-worker who shouts, bullies and throws their toys is easy to spot, but gaslighting is more calculated and subtle, less overt and flies under the radar, making it hard to prove.
Phonetic Chart
