Anger…

What do you think about getting angry?  At work, does the boss get mad at you?  Or you at the boss?  Ever write a nasty email?  Ever find yourself yelling at someone?

Customer service reps are a frequent target.  Of course, they’ve been trained:

How to Manage an Irate Client Call: 

“I’m sorry you’re so upset.  I really feel your pain.  No, I don’t think we can fix the problem.  No, you can’t get your money back.  Well, I am the supervisor.  Let me transfer you to Mr. Dial Tone…” 

Unknown Sage 

I tried to temper my anger over the years.  Then I read an article published in Sales and Marketing Magazine ©,  “Is There A Place For Anger In Management?” .  Paul Nolan offered several points backed by research suggesting anger is more good than bad in the work place.  Here’s one example: 

We’re more likely to perceive people who express anger as competent, powerful and the kinds of leaders who will overcome challenges.  Anger motivates us to undertake difficult tasks. 

Competent and powerful… motivate to accomplish difficult tasks… I don’t know – what do you think?  Apples’ Steve Jobs was infamous (or perhaps famous) for his tirades. 

A final view about anger comes from two, fictitious monks: 

Two monks were strolling by a stream on their way home to the monastery.  They were startled by the sound of a young woman in a bridal gown, sitting by the stream, crying softly.  Tears rolled down her cheeks as she gazed across the water.  She needed to cross to get to her wedding, but she was fearful that doing so might ruin her beautiful handmade gown. 

In this particular sect, monks were prohibited from touching women.  But one monk was filled with compassion for the bride.  Ignoring the sanction, he hoisted the woman on his shoulders and carried her across the stream - assisting her journey and saving her gown.  She smiled and bowed with gratitude as the monk splashed his way back across the stream to rejoin his companion. 

The second monk was livid!  'How could you do that?' he scolded.  'You know we are forbidden to touch a woman, much less pick one up and carry her around.' 

The offending monk listened in silence to a stern lecture that lasted all the way back to the monastery.  His mind wandered as he felt the warm sunshine and listened to the singing birds.  After returning to the monastery, he fell asleep for a few hours.  He was jostled and awakened in the middle of the night by his fellow monk. 

'How could you carry that woman?' his agitated friend cried out.  'Someone else could have helped her across the stream.  You were a bad monk.' 

'What woman?' the sleepy monk inquired. 

'Don't you even remember?  That woman you carried across the stream' his colleague snapped. 

'Oh, her' laughed the sleepy monk.  'I only carried her across the stream.  You carried her all the way back to the monastery." 

Buddhist parable 

I suppose anger boils down to a matter of degree and the context of the situation. 

I don’t always succeed in controlling my anger.  However, I do try to avoid “carrying it all the way back to the monastery”. 

GAP 

When life gets tough we could get a helmet… or… we could leverage the peace and share the power of a positive perspective.