11 Ways for Managers to Address Anger in the Workplace |
Managers can more effectively address anger in the workplace when they have studied anger.
It's as important to recognize passive-aggressive anger as it is to notice anger that is loud and evident.
The key to preventing anger is being aware of unrealistic expectations of yourself and those you supervise.
Management plays a major role in influencing the tone in their work setting. This is especially meaningful with regard to recognizing, preventing, and managing anger in the workplace. As such, all supervisors can benefit from developing understanding, awareness, and skills for effectively dealing with such anger. This is as true for experienced supervisors as it is for employees newly promoted to a managerial position. And, it is as true for the corporate office as it is in a school system, medical center, or factory. Understanding begins with learning some key facts about anger.
Anger is almost always a reaction to (and a distraction from) negative emotions such as fear, shame, embarrassment, or hurt associated with rejection, being devalued, or feeling inadequate.
It involves a mind-body reaction that may activate the “threat system," leading potentially to fight, flight, freeze, or compassion. This mind-body reaction encompasses the interplay of emotions, thoughts, and physical sensation. Calming the body is an ideal first step that can lead to a pause so that we respond to, rather than react to, anger.
Regulating our body and thoughts helps us gain the awareness to pause and direct our attention inward in order to better identify emotions, thoughts and sensations leading to anger.
Much of anger is about maintaining expectations–with and........