We all know that an angry boss is not a professional one. Despite this your boss is your boss and having good relations with your boss is important. After all your boss has the upper hand and if the boss wants I am sure the boss can find a way to get you fired. With that said you could take any roaring angry boss and tame him or her to the calm beast that he or she can be. The following are tips on how you can calm an angry boss.
Simply listen. I know listening can be hard especially when your boss is yelling at you or giving you that disapproving look. Most people are often tempted to reply back and defend themselves from someone who is verbally attacking them. However the wise choice would be to simply listen. Allow your boss to express their feelings and release some of that anger.
Acknowledge your bosses feelings. Let them know that you understand how angry they are feeling. Describe their body language. For example, let your boss know you see his or her fist are clinched, that there is a frown on their face and their face is red. Acknowledging the feelings can be enough evidence to a boss that they are not behaving professionally and calming down should occur.
Repeat back their concern. Show your angry boss that you were listening. Repeat back the main points of their conversation. Do this without including the negative words or put downs that may have been included in the conversation.
Apologize. If you did something that was not correct suck it up and apologize for your mistake. Even if it doesn’t seem like a mistake to you apologize because obviously it was a mistake according to your boss. For an angry boss apologizing may not mean much at the time but in the long run it will slowly lower you’re his or her level of anger.
Ask how you can make things better. Put your best foot forward and ask how you can make things better. If your boss responds by saying nothing will then come up with a few solutions of your own. An angry boss may have a difficult time thinking of solutions to the problem because they are angry but you can help them out by coming up with ideas.
Let your boss know how your feeling. If the anger continues then share with your boss how their angry is making you feel. For example you can say, “I feel scared and sad when your yelling at me. I want you to please stop and calm down.” You can then suggest to your boss some calming down methods. For example, you can suggest taking deep breaths and counting backwards.
Suggest continuing the conversation at another time. If your boss has not calmed down and this point and continues to behave in a rage then suggest coming back to the conversation. Let your boss know it’s difficult to communicate when they are feeling angry. Let your boss know that you would like to continue the conversation when they are feeling calm.
By using these tips you should be able to calm your angry boss. If you have a boss who is frequently angry or treats you with great disrespect then seek help from someone who is above your bosses position. Your angry boss may need professional counseling or help from an anger management group.
Recommended Readings:
Anger Management Techniques
Anger Management Tips
How to Control and Deal with Your Anger
