11 Ways for Managers to Address Anger in the Workplace

"This is especially meaningful with regard to recognizing, preventing, and managing anger in the workplace. As such, all supervisors can benefit from developing understanding, awareness, and skills for effectively dealing with such anger. This is as true for experienced supervisors as it is for employees newly promoted to a managerial position. And, it is as true for the corporate office as it is in a school system, medical center, or factory."

"Anger is almost always a reaction to (and a distraction from) negative emotions such as fear, shame, embarrassment, or hurt associated with rejection, being devalued, or feeling inadequate. It involves a mind-body reaction that may activate the "threat system," leading potentially to fight, flight, freeze, or compassion. This mind-body reaction encompasses the interplay of emotions, thoughts, and physical sensation. Calming the body is an ideal first step that can lead to a pause so that we respond to, rather than react to, anger."

Management plays a major role in influencing workplace tone and in recognizing, preventing, and managing anger. Supervisors benefit from developing understanding, awareness, and skills for dealing with anger across settings and experience levels. Anger commonly reacts to and distracts from negative emotions such as fear, shame, embarrassment, or hurt linked to rejection, devaluation, or feelings of inadequacy. Anger involves a mind-body threat response that can trigger fight, flight, freeze, or compassion. Calming the body is an effective first step to create a pause to respond rather than react. Regulating body and thoughts improves awareness to identify underlying emotions and expectations that sustain anger. Rigid or unrealistic expectations often perpetuate anger, distinct from aggression as a behavior.

Read at Psychology Today