The work environment is at times associated with innumerable stress factors, key among them having an angry boss who continually yells at you and your colleagues at the office. Working with a boss who has anger management issues often makes the working environment hostile and decreases overall productivity.
You should employ a few anger management tips to ease the burden of having an angry boss.
Take Responsibility for Your Actions
Your boss may be angry with you for legitimate mistakes that you commit on the job. In such a case, you should own up to your mistakes and promise to do better in the future. Avoid making excuses when you are in the wrong and instead, devise a clear strategy of how you will correct the mistake and improve on your work.
In other cases, you could have made a mistake but the manner in which your boss handles the situation goes on to rub you the wrong way. At times, bosses could be overzealous in their roles or outright unfair. You should seek to amicably address the matter by informing your boss of the extent of your faults.
Identify the Boss’ Triggers
When you realize that your boss has issues, it is advisable to keep records of the incidences. You can establish a pattern by noting the instances that your boss gets angry due to specific issues such as poor time management. This record will help you assess what areas to correct on your part to avoid bouts of anger from your boss. Solving the problem using such strategies is a great anger management tool.
Records of irrational behavior can show instances when your boss becomes unfair during typical cases of lashing out. Also, ensure to counter the angry situations with exemplary job performance to back up your claims in the face of a pending litigation issue.
Understand Anger Management Principles
It is important to be cognizant of the style of interactions between you and your boss, and those between the boss and other colleagues. Take note of your boss’ reactions towards other people’s faults and make a quick comparison to yours. If you realize that you are the only recipient of your boss’ anger bouts, then you need to address the problem in isolation. You can seek an audience with your boss or seek assistance from the HR department when the first option fails to bear fruit.
If you establish that the entire workforce or a section of employees are equally irked by the boss’ anger, then you can join forces and amicably address the boss or seek assistance from HR.
Find Ways to Invoke Calm
It is typical of human nature to get angry in hostile situations, but the ideal reaction is to keep calm when the boss displays irrational anger. Knee-jerk reactions to your boss’ anger will only lead to an explosive situation, and the issue at hand will not be resolved. However, this situation does not imply that you should ignore or bottle up your own emotions. Instead, you should find practical ways to soothe your anger when you find yourself on the receiving end of such hostility.
Acknowledge that you are angry and identify the exact cause of the anger, since it could be anything ranging from the shouting from your boss, or the embarrassment you faced in front of your colleagues after the experience. Release the anger with a few anger management tips such as taking a break, listening to music, and noting your feelings down in a notebook. Releasing anger is an excellent form of anger management, helping you to regain focus in your work and avoid resenting your boss.
Confront the Boss
Most people think that the superiority of a boss does not give them any room to communicate their issues or opinions. Contrary to popular belief, you have the right to address any trivial matters in your working environment. Confront your boss about his/her anger issues by pointing out the unfairness of the reaction. Let your boss know that you prefer to be addressed calmly to make any exchange productive. Ensure to keep calm during the confrontation and choose words that focus on finding a workable solution instead of aggressively accusing the boss of unfair treatment.
Confirm your Roles
When you confront your boss, ensure that you clarify your responsibilities in the operations of the company. This will help you and your boss identify the specific areas that cause conflict and how such areas can be improved in the future.
Exemplary Performance
One of the effective strategies for dealing with an angry boss is to strive for exemplary performance on the job. You want your work to be noticeable and thus dissipate any reason for the boss to scold you. In the likelihood of termination or unfair punishment, you can use your great performance as a means of protection.
Anger management strategies can create a conducive environment for high productivity. Dealing with an angry boss may be hard, but using such anger management tips guarantees a smooth working relationship that benefits all.
