5 Tips On How To Handle An Angry CoWorker!

We have all been there and have experienced it sometime or the other. I am talking about aggression and bullying at the workplace. When the tempers flare, it becomes extremely difficult to control the situation. Things get ugly pretty fast. So today, let’s talk about how to handle angry coworkers.

1. Control your first instinct to react: What I mean to say by this statement is that it’s human nature to fight or flight. The adrenaline rush makes our judgement cloudy leading for us to react irrationally. Then one thing leads to another and soon you are involved in a scene created in the middle of the office. It is difficult but not impossible to reprogram yourself to think before uttering even a single word. Best way is to take a deep breath & recite in your mind “here we go. Let’s see what he/she has to say today”. You will immediately feel confident to face the aggressive colleague.
2. Never internalize the problem: One important thing to keep in mind is that nobody goes looking for a good fight at their workplace. The era of knights have long gone by. Therefore instead of thinking that you wanted an argument or blaming yourself is the wrong attitude. It will kill your morale as well as make you prone to bullying by any Tom Dick and Harry. Remember that the problem is external and could always be fixed or negotiated. 
3. Defensive & Closed attitude can cause more harm than good: An angry colleague is beyond reasoning so it’s best to avoid getting sucked into meaningless back and forth of comments and blames. Try to keep an open attitude and genuinely understand the issue. It is for sure that somewhere between his/her angry rants you will get a clue so as to the bone of contention. Also shouting at an unreasonable person portrays you as unreasonable as him/her in front of your boss and colleagues.
4. Keep your cool on: The best way to calm a person down is to be calm yourself. First of all it is very important to keep the control in your hands during an argument. Showing extreme emotions like anger or hatred gives the control to the aggressor. He/she has successfully got what they wanted from you – a scene. So it’s best to keep a cool head or at least show that you are calm. Also try to address the person with their name this makes them pay attention & see through their cloud of red. This is a practical example which oddly enough has worked for me in a similar situation.
5. Your safety should be your priority: Although making a scene in public is something that we all should avoid, but in case of an angry colleague at workplace it is always good to face him/her on a neutral territory. Having other people watch you both may give the aggressor an incentive to control any violent thoughts of harming you. Also if coworkers and your boss sees you handling the situation calmly, it may actually work in your favor. You may be able to expose the person if they are really vicious. Always keep in mind to avoid any physical contact like touching the arm or even pointing a finger at the person. Also keep a safe distance.

That’s it guys. Some practical things that you could try out when confronted by an angry coworker. Once he/she has cooled down you can try to talk to them about what went wrong. Always remember that Empathy goes a long way in winning over people & arguments. If you are at fault then apologize and come clean. Transparency goes a long way.

So next time you are face to face with an angry person, you’ll know what to do. Thanks for reading & have a great day!

The Five Things You Should Know About Corporate Life

There are many facts about corporate life that eludes us till we actually become a part of the work force. When we start our first job, we are naïve and gullible which makes us prone to situations where we are caught off guard. I present to you a list of top five points from the numerous suggested to me by my family and friends.

Here are some harsh truths about corporate workplace that every fresher should know before taking the plunge and becoming a working drone for the next 40 years of your life!

1. The scope of your work always keeps on increasing. You will be doing many different things that have no connection to your initial job description. Most of the times it makes no sense & you end up handling other departments’ drudge work as well.
2. Office politics is NOT a myth however meritocracy definitely is. The person who is better at flattering & manipulating is often the one preferred for rewards/favors than those who are hard workers and less talkative.
3. HR departments are completely useless, no matter where you go. You are encouraged to give feedback that are never ever given a second thought and ultimately you end up looking like a fool, thinking they value your opinions! You end up learning a very important lesson in a quite embarrassing way.
4. Meetings are a waste of time, mostly because the ones speaking are far away from the ground realities and others do not really pay attention. I have seen people shopping online and checking Facebook feeds on their smartphones during these meetings. Nothing good ever comes out of them actually!
5. You are never appreciated for the extra hours that you put into your projects or when you reach half hour before office timings, every single day. But, the one time you are late or leave a bit early, all hell breaks loose!!!

There are many such stark truths about corporate life that no internship or college prepares you for. Your wit and presence of mind is what comes to your aid in the end. And when even that doesn’t work, then you end up frustrated like most of us who are working in the corporate world!!! 😉