Workplace bullying is difficult enough when it’s one person targeting you. But what happens when it feels like the entire team is working to push you out, shut you down, or make you question your worth?

That’s not just bullying. It’s something deeper, darker, and more systemic.

It’s called workplace mobbing  –  and it happened to me.

My Experience With Mobbing: The Moment It Changed

I was working at a major media company when it began.
A respected reporter asked to attend a climate conference in Paris. I approved it. He was a strong contributor and had earned the opportunity. But a week after arriving, he requested to extend his stay.

I said no. I needed him back in the newsroom. We had deadlines. We had a job to do.

That one “no” set off a chain of events I couldn’t have predicted.

Months later, that same employee joined others in a campaign to discredit me. They worked together  –  subtly at first, then more overtly  –  to sabotage, isolate, and disempower me.

Eventually, I was dismissed during a so-called “newsroom reorganization.”

It took me a long time to recognize what had happened for what it was.

What Is Workplace Mobbing?

Swedish psychologist Heinz Leymann first coined the term mobbing in the 1980s. He described it as a form of collective bullying  –  not an isolated incident or a clash of personalities, but a sustained, organized effort by multiple individuals to humiliate, undermine, or expel a colleague.
It’s not just someone being mean. It’s not just poor management. It’s a psychological attack  –  and it leaves damage in its wake.

Signs of Workplace Mobbing:

• You’re consistently excluded from meetings or decisions.
• Rumors or whisper campaigns circulate about your work or character.
• Colleagues stop engaging with you without explanation.
• You’re blamed for problems that aren’t yours.
• You feel like you’re walking into an ambush every time you show up.

In short, you become the target of a group dynamic that thrives on silence, complicity, and fear.

Why Mobbing Happens

Mobbing often emerges when power structures go unchecked and toxic culture festers behind closed doors.
It usually has little to do with your performance  –  in fact, high performers are often the ones targeted.

Why?

Because they:

• Challenge the status quo
• Don’t play political games
• Succeed without needing approval from cliques
• Trigger insecurity in others

In my case, saying “no” was interpreted not as leadership, but as a threat. And in environments where egos run high and accountability runs low, it doesn’t take much to become a target.

What Organizations Can Do to Prevent Mobbing

If you’re a leader  –  or aspire to be  –  you must recognize that mobbing rarely starts loudly. It builds quietly, and by the time it surfaces, someone’s already been deeply harmed.

Here are 5 proactive ways organizations can intervene:

1. Recognize the Red Flags
If one person consistently becomes the center of office conflict or is excluded by multiple people, don’t chalk it up to “personality clashes.” Investigate.

2. Train Leaders to Act Decisively
Middle managers and supervisors must learn how to spot exclusion, scapegoating, and silencing. Silence from leadership is often seen as permission to continue.

3. Offer Safe Reporting Channels
Anonymous, independent reporting tools give victims a place to be heard without retaliation  –  a key reason why mobbing often goes unreported.

4. Audit the Culture
Look for:

• Cliques or favoritism
• “Us vs. them” dynamics
• Siloed teams that protect one another at the expense of accountability

5. Talk About Group Dynamics
The healthiest teams talk openly about conflict, collaboration, and fairness. Create space for those conversations before damage is done.

Healing From Mobbing: What Targets Can Do

Surviving mobbing takes more than just switching jobs. It’s a deep form of betrayal  –  especially when it comes from a place you once felt proud to belong to.
Here are 4 ways to begin healing:
1. Document Everything
Even if no one listens today, documentation serves as proof, validation, and potential evidence if legal action becomes necessary.

2. Invest in Your Network
Rebuild outside of your current company. Your professional worth isn’t tied to your employer. A strong external network helps you remember that.

3. Work With Trauma-Savvy Professionals
Coaches, therapists, or counselors who understand workplace trauma can help you regain trust in yourself and others.

4. Rediscover Your Identity
You are not what they said about you. You are not what they tried to erase. Pour energy into something that brings purpose, whether that’s writing, mentoring, volunteering, or simply being present with people who see your value.

The Real Cost of Mobbing

Mobbing doesn’t just destroy individual careers. It poisons team morale. It erodes trust. It costs businesses good talent and real money through turnover, absenteeism, and legal risk.
Yet it remains one of the most overlooked issues in workplace culture.

Because it’s messy.
Because it’s hard to prove.
Because it hides behind smiling faces and polite emails.

But ignoring it doesn’t make it go away.

You’re Not Alone
I’ve lived through it.

I know the pain of waking up dreading work. The confusion of being cut off by people who once praised you. The erosion of your confidence can leave you wondering if you were the problem all along.

You weren’t.

And you’re not alone.

Whether you’re experiencing workplace mobbing now or still carrying the weight of it from the past, you deserve to be seen, heard, and supported.

Ready to Take the First Step?

If you’re suffering in silence  –  or know someone who is  –  don’t wait for it to get worse.
Schedule a confidential call with me to talk through your experience and what recovery could look like:

Share this article with a friend or colleague who might need to see it.
Because bullying thrives in silence  –  and every story told out loud is a step toward ending it.