The phrase “love bombing” is often used in dating to describe when someone praises or flatters someone excessively before abruptly changing their behavior.
Love bombing in a professional environment may be better defined as “praise-bombing”.
We explore here how leaders can identify signs of love-bombing at work and address the issue in order to prevent it from happening again.
In the workplace, love bombing is common between new employees and their managers.
Leaders may be trying to make a new employee or recruit feel welcomed. This can turn into praise bombing or love bombing when a leader is overly flattering, especially if it’s done in front of the rest of the team.
This can cause stress and anxiety in new employees. There is absolutely nothing wrong with managers establishing a standard for excellence in a company. It can be detrimental to both the employee as well as the rest of the company if unreasonable expectations are set. They may feel that their best effort is not good enough.
You should be aware of the following signs if you’re an employer and are worried that your employees are love-bombing:
Managers praise their employees without providing constructive feedback
Love bombing occurs when managers give glowing feedback to their team without any constructive criticism. It’s as if they think everything the employees do is perfect. It’s important for managers to let their team know how they are doing, but constructive feedback is crucial to help them progress. Praise that is excessive and without any suggestions for improvement could be a sign of love bombing.
Team members who are dissatisfied receive too much attention
A red flag can be when an employee’s concern or dissatisfaction suddenly receives overwhelming attention. Managers might do this if they feel the employee has lost interest in their role and is likely to move on. In this case, the manager might overcompensate by reassuring the employee in hopes that it will prevent them from leaving.
Promote new hires quickly to ensure their loyalty
It is not uncommon for managers to want to reward their new employees with a promotion or other rewards to ensure their loyalty to the company. The length of service does not necessarily determine if someone is qualified for a promotion. If there is an imbalance in the way that new employees are treated compared to those who have been with the company for a longer period of time, it may be a sign that love bombing has taken place.
When a working relationship suddenly turns sour between colleagues
When a relationship that was once strong between employees begins to deteriorate quickly, this is a clear indication of love bombing. The decline occurs when the employee does not meet the unrealistic expectations of the other party.
- Make sure employees set clear boundaries with colleagues. Define what behaviour is acceptable and unacceptable through standards and codes of conduct and provide guidance on how you can discourage behavior that blurs lines.
- Encourage open communication:Create safe zones where employees can report manipulative or concerning behaviour.
- Lead with example: Be a role model for professionalism and respect as a manager, so that other employees can observe you and emulate your behaviour.
- Monitor dynamics of the team: Pay attention to team dynamics, especially if some members seem to be receiving too much attention.
- Encourage accountability.Ensure employees are held accountable for their actions.
