It would be a surprise not to find an angry manager in almost every workplace. Managers have to behave all the time professionally or else they are considered bad managers. But just being professional is too low because as leaders, they are expected to demonstrate exemplary behaviors instead. Many employees already find their jobs stressful enough without dealing with angry managers at the helm.
Dealing With Anger
Now and then, people work with a manager who occasionally loses their temper, and it can be a trying time. That does not always mean the boss is bad unless they lose their temper frequently. But no one enjoys putting up with anger from their managers, especially when unwarranted.
Getting angry is not the primary problem, but acting the anger out. It is the negative and unstrained actions out of anger that cause the problem.
Angry Managers and Bullies in the Workplace
As said before not that all angry managers are bad, but the horrible ones can bully and intimidate employees in the workplace. Insecure boss uses rage to boost their egos, rant, and rave at employees to deflect attention away from the poor decisions they make.
And it is not always the words the bully managers use, but the tone of voice and power they flex inflict fear into employees and create panic.
These types of managers are always in a bad mood or can quickly get angry about anything. So here are the best nine ways of:
9 Brilliant Tips for Dealing with Angry Managers
1. Do Not be Frightened
Usually reacting to bullying managers who rant achieves nothing. Of course, it can dissuade future anger but does not remove the possibility of the next rage towards you. The best way to deal with it is to show them their tantrum does not faze you.
Some people become frightened whenever an angry manager at work starts ranting. Just be calm but assertive enough to prove you are not frightened. Then listen to what they say and wait until they stop talking, then respond. Your answers must have the power to make your boss think otherwise.
You have to remain controlled and disciplined to manage an angry manager at work. It is essential that you control your emotions, stay composed, relaxed, and be patient. If you lose your temper and react angrily, the only results will be to make the situation worse.
2. Use Diplomacy to Defuse the Anger
It is always possible to disagree with your manager on certain things, and that can trigger even the most composed manager to start yelling. If this happens, make sure you use diplomacy to solve the issue and do not say something you might regret afterward.
Read more: Managing Difficult Employees and Disruptive Behaviors
Dealing with an angry manager at work requires you to stay calm when angry at work. So even if you are provoked, try to restrain yourself.
To dilute the anger coming from the manager, ignore the rage and tone but listen to the words calmly. Keep clear of emotions while trying to start a dialogue to resolve issues.
3. Avoid Exchanging Words
Choosing to engage in the exchange of words will be a big mistake. If you do it, that will be responding emotionally to a situation that requires impeccable behavior from you to cool things down. So do not do it, keep calm and be a boss.
If speaking to your angry manager to calm the situation down gets you nowhere, walk away and return later so that you can make your point calmly and authoritatively.
4. Go with the Manager’s Decision
One thing you should always remember is the workplace environment is not democratic. So if your angry manager makes a decision you do not like, go with it. Nothing is wrong with suggesting an option.
But if they do not want your input, then commit to the decision made and take action. It is your angry manager who responsible and accountable for that decision.
5. Manage Up
Manage your boss but be careful not to be obnoxious and make your manager angry. You do not have to behave like a boss to manage your manager and tell them what to do. No, do it in a way without coming across as overstepping your role boundaries. Do not put yourself in a position where your manager might feel threatened or disrespected.
Managing-up means working together with your manager to produce the best results possible. Be aware that when managing up, you are influencing without authority, your manager to act the way you consider appropriate to do the job efficiently.
6. Stick to the Right Practices
But managing upwards can be tough, especially if you are in a situation where you need to please the angry managers. You may develop certain habits that are not desirable in the ideal work environment.
That means you start to snoop, or become a mind reader and decipher what your angry manager at work wants. But despite the predicaments, by managing up you still, learn how to be resilient and solve complex problems.
In the end, you may probably not make angry managers stop their ranting and raving conduct – but the actions you take can get better outcomes without engaging in corrupt practices. In other words, you can manage your angry manager at work and cope much better by doing the right things instead.
7. Speak Direct to the Manager
If your manager micromanages and irritates you, step back and ask yourself why the boss is doing it. If it is not you who drives your boss to micromanage, think about how you can pre-empt such behavior.
One of the measures you can take is to arrange a weekly meeting, — both of you to discuss and agree on what to do going forward. In the meeting, ask about what your boss needs to know, and what you need to know? That will allow your boss to ask questions and receive a better picture and assurance of how you will do the job.
8. Be Pro-active
There are aspects of an angry manager you cannot change, but it is possible to find other areas you can control. For instance, you may anticipate that your manager is likely to get upset and rants.
Before your boss starts to shout in front of everyone, request a one on one conversation to give yourself a chance to say something. Pre-empt the discussion by talking about what went on and what you will do differently next time. By initiating the conversation, you take some of the wind out of their anger.
9. Establish a Professional Relationship
You run the risk of making the manager angry and worsen your working relationship if you escalate your boss’s behavior high. It may be that it is the only option you have, but that is likely to be unsuccessful.
So, if there is still a glimpse of hope to work out things directly with your angry manager, do it. The reason is, most managers are usually in specific positions because the senior bosses have promoted them. And often, they are the very people you will potentially go to make a complaint about the manager’s behaviors.
In conclusion, try not to make your manager angry. Although it’s not possible to guarantee that things like upsetting your boss cannot happen in a high demanding and pressurized work environment.
Dealing with angry managers can be daunting, and sometimes many people find it hard to cope with the unreasonable stress inflicted on them. However, it would help if you stayed positive and constructive when dealing with angry managers during stressful and challenging times.
In the end, you can cleverly manage them and control their behavior without affecting your work morale. And when you manage your boss you can easily teach them one or two techniques about anger management.
Do you make your manager angry at work? How do you deal with an angry manager in your workplace? Please leave your thoughts in the comment box below