One of my team members recently asked me, 'You know what! I just can't stop
getting angry with people asking stupid questions. How do I help myself?'
1.
Anger in Business definitely has negative implications on
decision making. Moreover it veils up
the ethical awareness and sensitivity towards employees (Mickel & Ozcelik, 2008).
2.
Anger creates more hostility at work place (Miron &
Rafaeli). Trust vanishes in an
environment where hostility exists against each other. This leads to reduced productivity, less team
work and increased people issues.
Possible Suggestions:
Miron-Spektor and Rafaeli, ‘The Effects of Anger At Workplace: When, Where and Why Observing Anger Enhances Or Hinders Performance’ http://ie.technion.ac.il/Home/Users/anatr/Anger_Effects_Miron-Spektor_Rafaeli-RPHRM.pdf [accessed 25 December 2013].
Workplace Anger, Inc.com http://www.inc.com/encyclopedia/workplace-anger.html [accessed 25 December 2013].
'Help?', I laughed. In a split second, I re-pondered over
the question and thought to myself, there are times when I do the same.
Perhaps, most of the executives in their extremely busy schedules only want
people who are 100% efficient and work with fewer instructions.
A study conducted by Brescoll (CNN.com, 2007), indicated
that the average salary assigned to an angry man was almost $38,000 and
that to a woman executive was about $23,500.
So I wondered – ‘Is it insane to get angry?’
I gave a decent corporate spiel to my colleague on how could
this be prevented from my experience. And was I truly convinced if the advice
offered made sense? Was there a need to
develop anger management group in the office?
Would it make sense that such behaviors are handled by these
professionally managed groups?
I then started digging deeper to seek an answer to these questions. Isaac Burt (2013), states
that aggression has increased in schools in the last decade and as such
implementing anger management groups in schools is commonplace (McCarthy, Van
Horne, Calfa, Lambert and Guzman, 2010).
(Burt et al., 2010) state that traditional anger management
groups do not prevent aggressive behavior.
Orpinas and Horne (2004) state that traditional anger management only
focuses on aggressors, thus ignoring the environment in which the aggressive
behavior occurred.
Seril, Gobeil, & Peterson (2009) indicate the need to
develop prosocial behavior rather than emphasizing on negative behaviors.
French philosopher Jean Paul Sartre wrote, ‘Hell is Other
People’. However, the other half is ‘Heaven
is other people, too’ (Metcalf and Gallagher 2012). They state that it’s rather funny that some
people think other people are the problem.
Bosses complain about their employees and vice versa.
Top Three Implications of Being Angry At Work
Conclusion:
- With the above findings it is evident that anger at workplace only works against one’s growth and prosperity. You would be able to extract work from your colleagues to an extent beyond which the work environment will become hostile and distrustful.
- This would create a discord between long term organization goals and your short term achievements.
- Burt, Patel, Butler & Gonzalez (2013) proposed Leadership Implementation Training (LIT), a counseling model that integrates the recommendations made by Finn and Willert (2006). As rightfully stated by Kellner, Bry, and Salvador (2008), working on Leadership development of an individual is crucial for counselors engaged in Anger Management.
- Organizations must consider setting up Anger Management Committees with Leadership Development being their core theme. Ongoing trainings must be provided to leaders to help them develop their emotional quotient and leadership skills.
Possible Suggestions:
Clearly with the listed implications above, one must take
the following measures to prevent being angry at work. I call it the ROPE approach:
1.
Be Rational.
Respect Other’s Perspective
2.
Be Open. Ask
questions to clarify your doubts / queries.
Be accepting to feedback and providing a constructive one
3.
Be Positive.
What you may see as Glass Half Empty may be Glass Half Full for the
other/s
4.
Be Elaborate.
Don’t shirk away people / ideas.
Learn from other’s experience.
There is something that one can always learn from the other. Elaborate on your views and present them
firmly yet subtly if needed
A wonderful extract from the eBook - 'Being Buddha at Work (2012)'.
References and Bibliography:
Reuters (2007) 'Workplace anger...who wins?' CNN.com/living
http://edition.cnn.com/2007/LIVING/worklife/08/02/angry.men.women.reut/index.html?iref=mpstoryview [accessed
25 December, 2013].
Burt, Patel, Butler & Gonzalez (2013) ‘Integrating
Leadership Skills Into Anger Management Groups to Reduce Aggressive Behaviors:
The LIT Model’ Journal of Mental Health
Counseling. Vol 35/ Number2/April 2013/Pages 124-141.
Metcalf, F. & Gallagher, BJ Being Buddha At Work: 101 Ancient Truths on Change, Stress, Money, and
Success: Berrett-Koehler Publishers. 2012. eBook., Database: eBook
Collection (EBSCOhost).
Mickel & Ozcelik (2008) ‘Chapter 6 When Executives get
angry: the importance of anger and its triggers to ethical awareness and
sensitivity’ Emerald Group Publishing
Limited. Vol. Iss: 4, pp. 131 – 154.
Miron-Spektor and Rafaeli, ‘The Effects of Anger At Workplace: When, Where and Why Observing Anger Enhances Or Hinders Performance’ http://ie.technion.ac.il/Home/Users/anatr/Anger_Effects_Miron-Spektor_Rafaeli-RPHRM.pdf [accessed 25 December 2013].
Workplace Anger, Inc.com http://www.inc.com/encyclopedia/workplace-anger.html [accessed 25 December 2013].
