Short of breaking into song singing 'I feel pretty...oh so
pretty' or alternatively massaging your earlobes while
repeating the mantra 'goose fra gua', anger is something we
all need to know how to handle and direct appropriately in
the workplace.
Aggression and furious anger displayed in the workplace is
unprofessional, deconstructive and leaves others sharing
the environment feeling uncomfortable and ill at ease. It
is vital that we all pull a lesson out of the anger
management handbook and find ways on how to manage and
control hostile outbursts at work so as to not make working
conditions unpleasant and unwelcoming for those around us.
There are two polar ideas referring to anger and its
existence in the workplace both of which are valid but not
necessarily right. Pacifists argue that anger is negative,
completely deconstructive and counterproductive to creating
a healthy working environment conducive for employees to
tap into their highest level of output. The other school of
thought supports the notion that the expression of anger is
a release of energy that unless expressed, cannot be
yielded to produce forward motion.
In truth, anger and the infuriation that you feel when
things don't work out the way you had anticipated them to,
is not necessarily where the problem lies with anger
management. The problem with managing anger in the
workplace is learning how to express this without squashing
company moral and frightening off those around you. The way
in which anger is expressed has everything to do with
managing anger itself and the effects if has in the
workplace. Anger in the workplace becomes a problem when
emotions are heightened beyond the point of rational
control and constructive direction. Negative anger comes in
the form of furious confrontation or passive aggression,
both of which are paralysing to forward motion.
The biggest challenge faced when managing fury in the
workplace, is keeping a level head about you and directing
your anger in a positive direction. As with physics, a
negative attracts a positive and thus out of any negative
situation, so a positive outcome may be achieved depending
on how well we utilise the passion that anger stirs in us.
Here are some tips to practice when directing your anger,
managing it and ensuring the best possible outcome is
achieved in the most positive of ways.
Anger management Tip One: Define the Trigger
Understanding what it is that has in fact made you as
furious as you are, is the first step that needs to be
followed when trying to get a handle on your temper. Define
the 'what, when, who, how and why' of the situation and get
a clear picture of what has upset you so. In doing so you
will be less likely to add more emotion to the expression
of your anger and defuse the situation based on its face
value and not from an emotionally sensitive standpoint.
Anger Management Tip Two: What Level of Control do you have
Over the Situation?
Understand how much control you have over the situation.
Whatever has made you angry at work is it worth the feisty
energy or was the outcome unavoidable from the offset.
Often when adverse events occur they come about as a result
of external factors that are beyond our control. While
still aggravating and disappointing, by getting angry at
outcomes that could not be avoided is a waste of such
'angry energy'. By assessing the level of control over the
situation and accepting that certain things are out of your
control is a solid way of remaining calm and avoiding
unnecessary outbursts of anger.
Anger Management Tip Three: Don't be Stubborn to Possible
Resolution
Often when situations are emotionally charged, the first
thing to fly out the window is sensibility and reason. The
more we cut off our noses, to spite our faces, the more
frustrated we become and the more workplace anger is
heightened. Be rational about the situation that has given
rise to your anger and look for potential solutions that
could solve the problem before allowing your anger to get
the better of you. When alternative solutions to a negative
situation are present, diverting your anger to these as
opposed to getting angry for the sake of getting angry will
defuse the emotion and move the situation forward in a
productive manner.
Anger Management Tip Four: Listen to your Heart
Pay attention to your heart rate and try to keep calm by
controlling your breathing. While this may sound like a
cop-out, it is a medical fact that through your breath you
can control your heart rate and anxiety levels. Try to
maintain a controlled intake and out-flow of oxygen and in
doing so your heart rate will remain stable along with
oxygen levels in your brain and throughout your body, as a
result you will feel more under control and less likely to
become more aggravated.
Anger Management Tip Five: Practice the 3 P's;
Professionalism, Patience and Positivity
There is nothing professional about having a habit of
flying off the handle in a fit of anger when things don't
go your way in the office. Try to govern your actions with
a high level of professionalism and positivity. The more
impatient you become the more your anger will grow, the
faster your positivity will fail, and professionalism will
decrease. Try to tap into the three p's and practice each
of these when faced with an infuriating scenario. The
higher level of positivity, patience and professionalism
you can display the calmer you will remain along with those
around you.
Anger is a perfectly natural response to certain stimuli we
are faced with on a day to day basis. When anger is
correctly channelled, expressed productively and controlled
during heated situations, it in fact serves as a motivating
force in finding solutions to adverse events requiring our
immediate attention with efficiency and forward motion.
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