Fiona Watt, Chief Executive of MRC (UK), apologizes for bullying

I'd forgotten about that letter of @Jonathan Edwards. Hits the spot on all counts. Might well be worth airing it again, given how enlightening it could be to the unenlightened, some of whom will be quite new to the party.

And Watt's apology does actually sound like ... a real apology. At the very least it seems like she has found herself with no choice but to take on a large helping of humble pie. About time too.

 

Yes I also find that difficult to believe. My feeling is that she found herself with no choice but to make a genuine-sounding apology - how genuine it really is remains to be seen.

I also cannot help reflect that the PACE authors and other allies are past masters at accusing people of bullying them, when in truth the roles are reversed. Is Watt genuine? Or just caught out?

 

I am never sure what the phrase "bullying" refers to in these high-profile stories. The context is left opaque.

I feel this unclarity probably doesn't help when powerful people make false and usually vague accusations that they are being bullied and harassed. It just becomes another tactic, another weapon.

I understand the need for confidentiality but the "bullying" stories have so little information in them that it's hard to learn positive lessons from them or for these "apology" statements to meaningfully work to change workplace culture.

 

I think this may be an example of the well known saying:

People who live in glass houses tend to throw plant pots at each other.