This article will guide you in recognizing acts of gaslighting, understanding their impact, and finding solutions to address them within your team or organization.
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Gaslighting in the Workplace
While gaslighting is commonly linked to intimate or abusive relationships, it can also occur in the workplace—whether by a colleague, manager, or even leadership. But what does gaslighting look like or feel like in a professional setting? How can you recognize if you’re being gaslit? And most importantly, what steps can you take if it happens to you? This brief article will help you understand and identify gaslighting in the workplace.
What is Gaslighting?
Gaslighting is a form of manipulation where someone undermines your thoughts, experiences, or denies your reality. In more severe cases, a gaslighter may make you question your own sanity, perceptions, or memory of events. This tactic is used deliberately to make you doubt yourself, often over an extended period.
Where Does the Term “Gaslighting” Come From?
The term “gaslighting” originates from the 1944 film Gaslight, in which a husband manipulates his wife, making her doubt her own perceptions and sanity as part of a scheme to steal from her. Over time, the term has become widely used, even in psychology, to describe extreme cases of manipulation. Typically, gaslighting occurs in situations where there is an unequal power dynamic, often with one party being more vulnerable, which could result in personal or professional losses if the false narrative is challenged.
What Does Gaslighting in the Workplace Look Like?
Gaslighting in the workplace, whether by a colleague or a boss, can manifest in various ways. This may include denying past events, downplaying your emotions or experiences, or even distorting the narrative of an incident to shift the blame onto you for outcomes that aren’t your responsibility.
Examples of Gaslighting in the Workplace
- A colleague insists a conversation took place, even though you have no recollection of it.
- Your boss claims you agreed to meet a certain deadline for a project, despite knowing you never did.
- A toxic co-worker makes abusive, sexist, or racist comments, then denies it or shifts the blame onto you when you report the behavior.
- A superior undermines your qualifications, sabotages your efforts, and causes you to doubt your ability to perform your job.
- Someone interferes with your workflow, makes changes without your consent, and then denies any involvement.
When someone repeatedly insists on something being true that you know is not, it can leave you feeling invalidated and powerless. This can lead to significant problems, especially when the gaslighting comes from someone in a position of authority. It may cause you to question your own reality, doubting your version of events and your sense of truth.
To protect yourself, it’s important to keep detailed records, seek support from others, or report the issue when it becomes a serious concern. If you’ve already attempted to address the situation directly with the gaslighter, consider speaking with another superior, talking to your coach, or reaching out to colleagues who may have experienced similar behavior. If the situation escalates and becomes toxic, you may need to involve HR, especially if it is creating a hostile work environment.