Anger management in the workplace is about keeping one’s emotions in check while at the same time calmly dealing with outbursts from colleagues and managers.
A lot of factors can trigger anger while in the workplace – unfair promotions, work stress, low compensation, unhealthy environment, office politics, burnout, etc. These are some of the most common causes and can lead to an increasing number of angry employees. You can either be the one causing these angry outbursts or might be at the receiving end of it. In both cases, it is important to keep the anger and the angry responses that generally follow, in check. When not handled well, workplace anger can affect productivity, ruin reputations and even end careers. Hence, it’s absolutely essential to counter it.
Following are some of the easiest steps you can take to manage anger at the workplace.
Pause
If an incident did not go down too well with you or if you happen to be caught up in a colleague’s angry outburst, it’s important to pause and step back before you react. One of the best tools for anger management is to stop, breathe and then react (or not). Stepping back from the situation allows you to think things clearly, before reacting in a way, you might regret later.
If a colleague or your boss is unfairly targeting you for something, it is easy to respond straight away. But this won’t help anyone, especially not you. Instead use the situation to show your maturity and react to it like a professional, when everyone involved has calmed down. Your boss is likely to appreciate this about you later. If not, then perhaps it is time to look for a new job.
Retreat
When things are really tensed, it helps to retreat to some place in solitude. For example, perhaps you were passed on for a much-deserved promotion over a colleague who didn’t really put in any efforts on a project. Instead of reacting in anger (and throwing your coffee mug in response at someone), go sit by yourself in a café nearby and give yourself some alone time. Similarly, if a co-worker reacts badly to you over something trivial, excuse yourself from the situation politely.
Grab a delicious lunch in your favorite salad shop. Sit in a garden (if possible) and just silently look at things/nature around you. Plug in your earphones and shut down the world around you. Retreating can be a very healthy solution for anger management.
Recommended Read: My Battle Against Workplace Stress
Evaluate
When you have been keeping angry a lot in the workplace or have constantly been at the center of rude remarks from a particular coworker, it is time to take stock of the situation. Was your anger justified? Could you have reacted in a different, if not a better way? What’s making you the target here? The fact of the matter is that you can’t actually do anything about others’ emotions. But you can do a lot for your own anger management. Perhaps you need to spare some time for stress-relieving activities. Yoga, or indulging in a hobby. Meditation, if anger takes over your logical mind way too often.
Also, try talking to the person who is often hostile towards you. If you’re being unfairly accused of something, see if you need to speak with the HR/your boss about it.
If you are the boss, do check if your employees feel unsupported or are overworked. Try to find out the reasons behind someone’s untoward behavior. Rather than mindlessly firing the offenders, understanding anger from others’ perspective can actually help calm the atmosphere in the office.
So the next time a situation starts getting tensed, Pause, Retreat and Evaluate.
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