February 15, 2016

The role of anger in business

Posted By: Fiona

How can you make constructive use of anger at work?

“Holding onto anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned” – Buddha

Anger is a normal human emotion. It flares when we think someone has infringed our rights, or those of someone we care about, and can spur us into taking action against injustice. But it can also be incredibly destructive whether we act unmindfully on it, in which case we often damage relationships, or bottle it up so it festers inside. If we make a habit of operating from a mindset of anger it eventually erodes our health, even leading to premature death.

So…what to do?

Well, firstly, recognise you’re angry. Take a breath and simply say to yourself “I’m feeling angry.” Don’t beat yourself up about it. Anger is normal – feeling it doesn’t make you a bad person. Beating yourself up just adds a second negative emotion to the first.

Pause for at least a few seconds. Take slow, deep breaths. If you need to and can, walk away from the situation until you calm down.

Carefully consider what’s caused your anger. Check your assumptions. Is your explanation for the situation the only possible one? What others can you find? How feasible are they?

If you’re angry with another person, ask yourself, “If I were to act from love right now, what would I do? If the person with whom I’m angry was the most important person in the world to me and I wanted their happiness just as much as my own, what action would I take?” Then take that loving action.

Acknowledge the anger, let it spur you to action, then act from love.

Want help acting from a place of love in business? Reach out

Posted By: Fiona
Posted In: Altruism, Anger, Behaviour, Business, Caring, Compassion, Mindfulness, Stakeholders, Values, Wisdom

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