This month's copy of BusinessWeek has a series called Business @ Work - There are many stories of bullies in the workplace.  Below is just one of them.

Here is One Bully Story 

I should have known what kind of boss Jackie Pebble would be from the first moment I had contact with him, and maybe I already did. But the rent was due, my COBRA insurance had run out, and I was sick of interviewing. I needed a job—fast.

When I arrived at the appointed time for my first interview, for a senior editor job at a trade magazine for dermatologists, he kept me waiting in the lobby of the company's Manhattan office for 15 minutes. Then the receptionist handed me her phone receiver and said, "Mr. Pebble would like to speak with you."

"I can't see you today," he announced. "I'm too busy."

Calling HR to Complain

His rudeness left me momentarily speechless. Finally I managed to say, "I came all the way from Connecticut for this interview, so I'd really appreciate it if we could have it today."

"All right," he said. "But you're going to have to wait."

Wait I did, for about 45 minutes. He finally showed up, ushered me in, and gruffly quizzed me about my journalistic background for about 10 minutes, and the interview was over. When I got home that afternoon, I still felt annoyed about the discourteous treatment Jackie had doled out earlier in the day. So annoyed, in fact, that I called HR to complain. What did I have to lose? There was no chance I would get this job, I figured, and I didn't want it anyway.

The Worst Boss I've Ever Had

Gayle, the HR person I spoke with, was very nice. "I'm sorry to hear you had a bad experience," she said. "But on the bright side, Jackie was just up here asking if we could raise the salary for the job to meet your requirements."

I was speechless again. Maybe he is a good guy, I thought, and I'd just happened to catch him in a rare disagreeable mood. And money talks, after all. "Well, that does make me feel a little better," I said. I ended up accepting the job and starting work the following Monday.

By Friday, Jackie had established himself as the worst boss I'd ever had—a distinction he still holds. He would give me a project and bark a few directions, never explaining them thoroughly or giving me the info I needed. The first day, he threw a bunch of photos at me that needed to be returned to whoever sent them. But all they had was the person's name—no address, no phone number. This was back in pre-Internet days, long before you could simply type "David Stein" and "dermatologist" in Google and come up with some clues.

A Toxic Corporate Culture

All the experts Business Week consulted said a solid option would simply have been to start job-hunting after two months of her start date, once it became obvious Jackie wasn't going to change.

"She needed to get out of there," one expert said. "'My boss talks to me that way all the time' is a hard line to hear. This person is saying that the culture here is that most people are jerks."

The bad behavior started even before the job started and only got worse. Could anything have been done to change the situation?  What do you think?

*This story is true. The author's name and other names and identifying details in the story have been changed.

I teach people how to deal with these bullies in my Bully Busting Seminars.  To learn more about the seminars send me an email at yvonne at jadcommunications dot com.

Read more about this story at www.businessweek.com

Billionaire Bill Bartmann recently shared some of his knowledge on how to prepare for a business loan.  I learned many valuable techinques for ensuring that you obtain the loan you need to grow your business.  While some of the information is elementary, having the material presented in a way that helps as a checklist will prepare entrepreneurs for success.  

Here are eight things to do in preparation of requesting a business loan

1.      Get an Intellectual Property attorney.  Get some references and vett them.

2.      Know that lenders are specialized like doctors.  Be sure the lender provides the kind of loans that fit your purpose.

3.      Always pre-qualify your lender before you see them.  Ask them:

-   The size loans they are responsible for to ensure they match the amount you are borrowing.

-   Tell them what industry you’re in

-   Tell them what region of the country you’re in 

4.      Understand that you only competing against the other potential borrowers

5.      The person taking your application can’t say yes.  They are screening the borrowers. (they can however say no)

6.      The first meeting with the lender is only the first date (if they like you they’ll want more information).  Don’t bring lots of stuff.

7.      Remember the 4Ps.  Be Punctual, Professional (look the part), Prepared (have the right answers to their questions) and Prompt.  Get in and get out.  No more than five minutes.  Give them the proposal and leave.

8.      What to bring to the meeting: