Managing Anger and Aggressive Behaviour

Course details

This course provides practical guidance for individuals who wish to improve the way they deal with their own or others anger and aggressive behaviour at work. It includes advice on mediating between other people (e.g. two or more people behaving aggressively towards one another in your team). The course focuses on the causes of aggression and the effects on you and the people around you including how to identify and manage early warning signs and the key triggers of anger in order to manage hostility effectively.

You will be given the necessary tools to channel and control your own and others anger when communicating with other people. In turn, you will gain an understanding of how to manage emotionally demanding situations through practical tasks, using discussion of any real issues you wish in small groups as well as having one to one time with your facilitator. You will leave the course with a set of handy reference cards to remind you of key skills and techniques learnt during the course which you can use in your day-to-day activities.

Is it right for me?

If you want to improve your overall effectiveness in resolving interpersonal issues including mediation this course will give you the guidance you need. If you are looking for conflict management please see Handling Difficult People and Situations or Conflict Resolution.

What will I learn?

By the end of this course you will be able to:

• State the difference between assertiveness and aggression.
• Understand how to express anger in a fair and assertive way.
• Manage yours, and others', early warnings and triggers to avoid anger and aggression escalating (including managing stress and pressure).
• Channel potentially negative emotions positively (e.g. fear, resentment, guilt).
• Recognise and utilise coping strategies when dealing with negative situations.
• Read and feed your own, and others', needs to prevent aggression arising and to minimise its negative impact if it does so.
• Develop long term strategies to reduce your susceptibility to feelings of anger and frustration.
• State how to mediate between others in aggressive situations to reduce tense atmospheres and situations (e.g. within teams).
• Plan a personal strategy for managing anger in the workplace.

Pre-course Activity

To gain maximum benefit before attending the course you will be sent an activity to complete which asks you to complete a ‘behaviour log’ in the period leading up to the course. You can also bring any situations you wish to talk through – the choice is up to you entirely. This will help to set the context of the course and can be used on the day as part of the course activities.

What will it cover?

Reasons Behind Anger and Aggression and their Effect on You and Others

• Understanding how and why you get angry or aggressive
• The effects of anger and how it is displayed – physical and psychological
• Levels of anger – irritation to rage – early warnings and triggers
• The effect of angry behaviour on the business and others

Recognise and use Personal Coping Strategies when Dealing with Negative Situations

• A step-by-step approach to managing anger and aggression
• Choosing the appropriate approach for each situation
• Using assertive behaviour as opposed to aggression
• Managing subtler forms of aggression – manipulation, undermining, put downs, isolating, patronising, etc…

Breaking out of the Emotional Cycle

• The games people play – understanding
• Transactional analysis reframing your response
• Reducing your stress levels by taking control of your emotions

Mediation – how to ‘referee’ between others

• When to mediate and when not, who is appropriate and when
• Skills and step by step guide to mediating
• Support and development for mediators

Develop Strategies to Reduce your Susceptibility to Feelings of Anger and Frustration

• Dealing with the triggers that make us and others angry
• Making lasting changes
• Developing a practical personal action plan using robust tools and techniques learnt from the course