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E-Quipped to... Reduce Workplace Anger

This newsletter introduces ‘Temper Your Temper: Reducing Anger in the Workplace', a comprehensive article found on my website.

Bad vibes in the workplace are not only detrimental to staff morale and productivity they can also have a negative effect on your health and wellbeing, not to mention your career prospects. Every way you look at it, it is a good idea to learn to control your anger at work. Understanding more about workplace anger can go a long way to helping you reduce its damaging effects.

What is Workplace Anger?

By definition, anger is an emotional state that ranges from mild irritation to intense fury and rage. It is when it gets intense that we describe it as “boiling” and that is when it is likely to affect us physically – our heart rate and blood pressure go up and the levels of the hormones adrenalin and noradrenalin increase. “Workplace anger” is anger that occurs in the workplace as opposed to in other contexts.

What Causes Workplace Anger?

There are probably as many causes of workplace anger as there are employees in the workplace, but some of the leading causes are:

• Stress
• Personality Differences
• Cultural Differences
• Personal hygiene violations
• Failure to express ourselves properly
• Work practice annoyances, like failing to follow rules and regulations or eavesdropping over cubicle walls.

For more detail about the causes of workplace anger, please read:“Temper Your Temper: Reducing Anger in the Workplace”

What are the Dangers of Workplace Anger?

• Loss of productivity
• Loss of staff morale
• Increased costs
• Loss of respect
• Possible long term damage to our health
• Poor reporting by staff of potentially dangerous or unproductive practices.

For more detail about the dangers of workplace anger, please read:“Temper Your Temper: Reducing Anger in the Workplace”

How Do I Deal With Anger Constructively?

We cannot always work with people on a conflict free basis so there may be times when you get angry with someone at work. That is ok. Conflict is not a bad thing in itself. It is how you handle your anger and the conflict that counts.

Two key principles to remember:

• When you disagree, disagree with the idea not the person.
• When you criticise, refer to the behaviour not the person.

Please read ‘Coping With Conflict’ for valuable tips on how to create win-win situations despite having disagreements with colleagues at work.

Please read ‘Face up to Feedback (Giving and Receiving Constructive Criticism)’ for important insights into how to constructively criticise or chastise colleagues to ensure a positive response.

Managing Your own Anger

Managing anger does not involve getting rid of all anger, but rather using it to enhance our lives.

Anger comprises both negative and positive aspects and anger management is about increasing the positive aspects and decreasing the negative aspects.

If you would like to read more about the positive and negative aspects of anger please refer to: “Anger Management: Taming the Tiger” an article found on my website. 

Managing Anger in Others

It is one thing to control your own anger, but what do you do when someone else is angry? There are three ways to handle someone else’s anger. Use the most appropriate one for the situation:

• Apologise
• Diffuse the situation
• Remove yourself from the situation

For more information about these three ways to manage anger in others please read:“Anger Management: Taming the Tiger”. 

Based on this information journalist Katherine Graham wrote an article for Khuluma – the Khulula in-flight magazine. You can read the article here.

What do YOU Think?

Share your wisdom with others… What do YOU do to manage workplace anger constructively?

Leave your comments here

About These Newsletters

You may have been forwarded this email by a friend. In that case, allow me to introduce myself. I am a psychologist, speaker, trainer, coach and hat lover based in Durban, South Africa.

My goal is to inspire you to make the changes necessary to live the life of your dreams! I believe that by developing your YOU-Q - the term I have created to describe your unique intelligence, creativity and wisdom - you can find your Inner winner and live a Be-YOU-tiful life right now.

On my website you'll find more ideas to get you thinking about life, love, work and other important STUFF.

Visit www.clairenewton.co.za 

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