Knowing how to handle anger in the workplace and successfully managing anger in the work place go hand in hand. Workplace stress and workplace burnout can definitely lead to anger in the workplace. Workplace stress is responsible for about one million people missing work each and every day, while two-thirds say work has impacted their stress level to the extent that a “mental health day” was needed. No matter the cause, managing work place anger is an important part of everyone getting along for the eight hours a day that they see each other.

Clear Expectations

Employees should know expectations before hand. All expectations should be clear and concise. Regular training sessions are required in order to keep all employees updated on required expectations. During these regular meetings training employees is important as well. Demonstrations on controlling emotions and communication skills ensures that all employees know and understand, and it gives them an opportunity to ask questions if they don’t understand.

Confront and Eliminate

Sometimes it seems as though ignoring a problem will make it go away, when it could be the opposite. If you ignore the issue it will not only continue, but could get worse as well. As uncomfortable as it is, you must confront the situation. You must firmly address the issue. Once again state clear expectations, and that this behavior is not okay. Eliminating the behavior as soon as possible keeps a small problem from turning into a larger problem.

Documentation

Documentation is vital anytime a workplace anger incident is observed. When managing anger in the workplace you must be careful to ensure that there is a paper trail. This helps for two reasons. This helps show what steps were taken to address the issues, who was involved in the issue and how the issues was attempted to be resolved in the past. It also helps to show how many times the issues has been addressed before further action needs to be taken. When addressing workplace stress and dealing with those who work a stressful job managing anger in the workplace can seem like an impossible chore, but documentation shows that you have actually tried to remedy the issues previously without success.

Warning Signs

This one may not be as easy to see but it is important none the less. Recognizing the warning signs to look for are important. If you know potential warning signs, you have the chance to intervene before things get worse. You also have the opportunity to know what to look for to keep things from getting that far. Signs such as being overly tired, not taking vacations, work space gossip are things that can lead to anger and hostility in the workplace and make it hard for those managing anger in the workplace.

Develop an Action Plan


A plan of action is important not only for you but also for your employees. Having a plan of action ensures that everyone knows what to expect and where to turn if things don’t go as planned. This can include a plan of action for the alleged perpetrator as well as the alleged victims. Clear steps should be outlined in the action plan, to make it easy to see and understand even in the event of an anger outburst.

Managing anger in the workplace is not as tedious of a task as it may seem. Knowing what to do and what steps to take can help make the process go more smoothly. Managing this can help everyone work better together and help remove any hostility that may be in the office, which could mean more productive workers, and a more cheerful office atmosphere.