Aggressive Behavior in the Workplace Part 2

• Aggression can be triggered by such things as:
• Lack of self-confidence
• Bad mood
• Sudden loss of control
• Feeling of being manipulated
• Retaliation for a perceived or actual first strike
• Reaction to negative situations
• Poor self-image  
• Sometimes aggression may be necessary in a particular situation but in a controlled manner
• The responses elicited by aggression may be:
• Avoidance in the future of the aggressor or the topic that triggered the aggressive outburst
• Aggression as retaliation
• Humor or sarcasm
• Manipulation is also aggression and may not be obvious.
• Manipulators "appear" to be winners.
• Manipulation can lead to:
• Lack of trust
• Build-up of resentment
• Short-term gain only
• Dealing with Aggressors
• Usually, neither of these tactics are effective:
• Fight back and defend yourself
• Act submissively and remove yourself from the situation
• Useful techniques
• Probe for information and get the real facts
• Start fogging by bouncing back what they are saying
• Play a broken record
• Focus on the problem not the person
• Be assertive

Until next time...






Sheryl Tuchman, SPHR, SHRM-SCP
http://tools2succeed.com/