How to Deal With Anger at Work
Stressful situations can cause anger to manifest itself at work. On average, an employee grows angry at work twice a week. Even the calmest employee may experience intense anger on occasion, such as when she believes someone has taken credit for her ideas. Employees with anger management problems may let their anger grow out of control in both trivial and serious situations. This creates a hostile workplace environment for everyone.
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Instructions
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Write down what an angry colleague has said or done if he is verbally attacking or bullying you, making threats, sabotaging your efforts or displaying uncontrolled bouts of rage. Confront him about the problem in a composed, tactful manner if you feel safe doing so. If this doesn't solve the problem, tell your supervisor. Go to your human resources department if your supervisor doesn't take action.
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If you're a manager or human resources professional, talk with an angry employee about how to manage her anger. Let her know the company won't tolerate her behavior. Have her work one-on-one with an anger management counselor to learn strategies for managing her anger. Hire the counselor to give a presentation to all employees if anger has become part of the company culture. Remember that anger can display itself as avoidance as well as aggression, as Gillian Bloxham says in "Anger Management for Dummies." Anger can remain contained but still affect an employee's performance. An employee might engage in hurtful gossip rather than "blowing up" or might stop communicating with an employee who has angered her. Treat all forms of anger as a serious issue.
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If you grow angry at work, pinpoint what triggers your anger. Determine which types of angry behaviors you engage in, such as yelling, avoiding a project that frustrates you, ridiculing a co-worker or ignoring a co-worker's request for help. Excuse yourself from a situation that is making you angry -- instead of stewing over a confrontation for an hour or more, spend five or 10 minutes calming down. Use a simple relaxation technique like deep breathing, repeating a calming mantra, engaging in a short meditation or doing slow stretches, as the American Psychological Association (APA) suggests. Return to the situation when you feel calmer and apologize if you already displayed anger. You'll know you're calmer when you can think rationally about the situation, instead of making harsh generalizations like "You never do this right." Develop assertive -- not aggressive -- ways to manage problems, such as politely asking a co-worker to use headphones instead of blaring music at you.
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If dealing with difficult clients or customers, make sure you never promise more than you can deliver. Communicate clearly with them and give them a specific person to contact with questions. If a customer talks in a loud, irate voice, speak calmly in a lower voice so he has to quiet down to listen. Tell him you'll call back in 10 minutes if he becomes rude, as this may give him a chance to calm down, and follow through. Offer a refund or complimentary item if he feels disappointed by the company's services.
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References
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