Stan is writing a note on a small piece of paper. Marcus is speaking with Stan. Marcus is discussing his concerns with Stan. Marcus is speaking with Stan.

Scenario Two

Hide and Seek

Stan made what he’d like to call a silly mistake a month ago. He forgot to save a bunch of sensitive files before a system migration, but luckily they were all recovered. He’s overcome the mistake, but his supervisor Marcus reminds him about it constantly by referring to him as Mr. Forgetful.

Marcus also plays practical jokes on Stan, which mostly includes hiding his files and other important items. He seems to get a kick out of claiming Stan misplaced the items on his own and simply forgot. When Stan shared his disapproval of the nickname and practical jokes from the onset, Marcus explained that it was his way of keeping him on his toes and to teach him a lesson.

Does Marcus’s behavior constitute abusive conduct, or is this an example of constructive feedback?

Correct

Incorrect

Repeatedly using the nickname and hiding Stan’s files and other important items (which hinders his ability to do the job) even after he shared his disapproval is abusive conduct. Regardless of Marcus’s explanation, his conduct was intended to continuously humiliate Stan for a mistake he made in the past. The respectful thing to do is to refer to Stan by name and to encourage and praise his success in moving past mistakes. In this instance, Stan should report the matter to Marcus’s supervisor or Human Resources, so they can investigate and resolve the matter immediately.