Challenging conversations: Strategies for dealing with anger Anger is a normal human emotion that warns us something is wrong. But it is also an uncomfortable emotion, especially when expressed at work when you are delivering a difficult message. Fortunately, anger can be managed in these situations. Acknowledge brushed aside adds fuel to the fire’. ‘more the person’s Anger is a symptom of a greater problem so make it clear immediately that you up front. realise the person is upset: can see that this is important to you so let’s talk it “I through.” The message you send is that you are interested in helping them to find a solution and that you are not going to combat rage with rage. Your supportive comments do not condone the anger, rather they redirect that the issue needs to be dealt with constructively. Be calm and It is essential when confronted with an angry person that you remain calm, confident dignified, express confidence in your verbal and non-verbal communication and to speak in a steady voice that says you are concerned but not intimidated. It is that you don’t respond aggressively to another’s anger. If with shouting and extreme aggression, draw the line: have no intention “I of raising my voice during this discussion and I ask you to extend the same courtesy to me.” No one can win with an angry exchange of words. Provide a Any topic that has the potential to give rise to anger must be discussed in a non-threatening, private environment. environment Try to have the person seated as it’s more difficult to continue an outburst from a sitting position. Listen and ask If the person is remaining maintain eye contact and listen actively without questions saying anything and they will run out of steam much sooner it’s not easy to – maintain anger with someone who is not responding. As the anger subsides, help the person move back into an objective rather than a subjective phase by using correct questions and techniques. Work towards a If the person has calmed down enough then talk rationally about the issue and solution explore the various options (this might depend on what is being discussed) to arrive at a fair and workable solution. However if the person remains then it may be best to postpone the discussion to allow the person to reflect and gain composure. Guidelines for individual redundancy meetings
Challenging conversations: Strategies for dealing with anger Anger is a normal human emotion that warns us something is wrong. But it is also an uncomfortable emotion, especially when expressed at work when you are delivering a difficult message. Fortunately, anger can be managed in these situations. Acknowledge the person’s up front. brushed aside adds ‘more fuel to the fire’. Anger is a symptom of a greater problem so make it clear immediately that you realise the person is upset: “I can see that this is important to you so let’s talk it through.” The message you send is that you are interested in helping them to find a solution and that you are not going to combat rage with rage. Your supportive comments do not condone the anger, rather they redirect that the issue needs to be dealt with constructively. Be calm and confident It is essential when confronted with an angry person that you remain calm, dignified, express confidence in your verbal and non-verbal communication and to speak in a steady voice that says you are concerned but not intimidated. It is that you don’t respond aggressively to another’s anger. If with shouting and extreme aggression, draw the line: “I have no intention of raising my voice during this discussion and I ask you to extend the same courtesy to me.” No one can win with an angry exchange of words. Provide a environment Any topic that has the potential to give rise to anger must be discussed in a non-threatening, private environment. Try to have the person seated as it’s more difficult to continue an outburst from a sitting position. Listen and ask questions If the person is remaining maintain eye contact and listen actively without saying anything and they will run out of steam much sooner – it’s not easy to maintain anger with someone who is not responding. As the anger subsides, help the person move back into an objective rather than a subjective phase by using correct questions and techniques. Work towards a solution If the person has calmed down enough then talk rationally about the issue and explore the various options (this might depend on what is being discussed) to arrive at a fair and workable solution. However if the person remains then it may be best to postpone the discussion to allow the person to reflect and gain composure. Guidelines for individual redundancy meetings
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