People have emotional outbursts every now and then. But if you have a team member who’s particularly prone to them, you should anticipate behavior like crying or screaming to prevent these situations from stalling your team’s productivity. Watch for the telltale signs that something is causing concern. When you notice someone is withdrawing eye contact or getting red in the face, acknowledge what you see: “Steve, you’ve stopped mid-sentence a couple of times now. What’s going on?” Listen carefully to the response, both to what is said and what you can infer from their body language. Angry (leaning in, clenched jaw or fists) looks very different from discouraged (dropping eye contact, slumping) or dismissive (rolling eyes, turning away). Finally, ask questions to get to the root of their emotion: “I get the sense you’re frustrated. What’s behind your frustration?” Afterward, you should see some sort of relief.
Adapted from
“Handling Emotional Outbursts on Your Team,” by Liane Davey.
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