The Roots of Anger in the Workplace

00:03:28
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQP4qAM3qgE

Summary

TLDRThe video discusses the primary causes of workplace anger, emphasizing that these are linked to a threat to individuals' sense of self-worth. It identifies five main triggers: dissatisfaction with the system, which includes feelings of being lost in large organizations and frustration with bureaucratic rules; perceived unfairness in areas such as promotions or recognition; hindered goals due to procedural changes or actions by other people; differing values that can disrupt team harmony; and the stress of hierarchical relationships where employees feel powerless and subject to arbitrary decisions. By understanding these triggers, individuals can better manage and respond to workplace anger issues.

Takeaways

  • 😠 Workplace anger is often linked to perceived threats to self-worth.
  • 🏢 Dissatisfaction with the organizational system can lead to frustration and anger.
  • ⚖️ Feelings of unfair treatment regarding recognition and reward can cause discontent.
  • 🚧 Barriers to achieving goals can increase workplace frustration.
  • 🌍 Dissimilar values among colleagues can break team harmony.
  • 📊 Hierarchical structures can make employees feel powerless and angry.
  • 🤝 Understanding the cause of anger is crucial for constructive conflict management.
  • 📈 Increased competition and performance expectations contribute to workplace stress.
  • 🔒 Bureaucratic restrictions often lead to frustration.
  • 🌟 Shared values are essential for team success.

Timeline

  • 00:00:00 - 00:03:28

    There are five main reasons why people get angry at work, all linked to the need for self-worth. Anger arises when individuals feel their self-worth is threatened, leading to dissatisfaction with uncontrollable systems, perceived inequality, goal hindrance, clashing values, and hierarchical power dynamics. Recognizing these triggers can help manage workplace anger effectively.

Mind Map

Video Q&A

  • What are the main causes of anger at work?

    The main causes of anger at work include dissatisfaction with the system, unequal treatment, hindered goals, dissimilar values, and hierarchical relationships.

  • How does dissatisfaction with the system lead to anger?

    Dissatisfaction with the system leads to anger because people feel lost in large organizations, face increasing competition, and experience bureaucracy-imposed rules that frustrate them.

  • Why does unequal treatment cause workplace anger?

    Unequal treatment causes anger due to perceived unfairness in bonuses, promotions, recognition, and unequal effort among coworkers.

  • What impact do hindered goals have on workplace anger?

    When goals are hindered by people, procedures, or changes, it disrupts performance and pay expectations, leading to anger particularly with short-term goals.

  • How do dissimilar values contribute to anger at work?

    Dissimilar values cause anger when there is a lack of shared vision or respect for team values, undermining collaborative efforts.

  • What role does the hierarchy play in causing workplace anger?

    Hierarchies contribute to anger because employees feel they lack control, are subject to arbitrary decisions, and suffer from broken promises by superiors.

  • Why is it important to understand the reasons for anger in the workplace?

    Understanding the reasons for anger helps in identifying causes and dealing with them constructively, assisting in conflict resolution.

  • Does everyone get angry for the same reasons at work?

    No, not everyone gets angry about the same things, as different individuals have unique triggers and perceptions of workplace issues.

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  • 00:00:02
    [Music]
  • 00:00:06
    why do people get angry at work there
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    are five main reasons they're all linked
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    to a need we all have four a sense of
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    self-worth if we believe that our sense
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    of self-worth is being threatened in
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    some way and that we can't do our jobs
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    properly and so risk losing respect then
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    anger is often the result the first
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    cause of anger is dissatisfaction with
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    the system the way things work around
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    you and that seemed to be beyond your
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    control anger arises when people feel
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    that their organization is too large and
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    they feel lost within it competition
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    between employees is increasing and
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    performance expectations keep on going
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    up an organization that acts like a
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    bureaucracy usually tries to impose a
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    one-size-fits-all approach and because
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    we are all different it usually means we
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    become frustrated by restrictions and
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    rules and that leads to anger
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    we all have an innate sense of what's
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    fair it's a key evolutionary trait in
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    humans so when we perceive unequal
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    treatment it makes us angry bonuses
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    promotions lack of recognition for a job
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    well done and unequal effort by
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    coworkers are all key sources of
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    workplace anger people hindering our
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    goals is another cause of workplace
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    anger we're all working toward goals
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    some individual and some shared often
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    our performance and pay are judged
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    against how we do in achieving those
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    goals if something gets in the way a
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    person a change in procedure or a change
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    in the way things are done
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    our goals are hindered that causes us to
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    become angry short-term goals are
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    especially vulnerable they're more
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    easily deflected by forces outside your
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    control and so they become a more
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    frequent source of anger we all have
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    different values different views of the
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    world but usually at work we try hard to
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    create a shared vision that helps us
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    work as a team when other people don't
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    share that vision or disregard or
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    disrespect it
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    it can make us angry we're working hard
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    to fulfill the values that need to be
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    shared by the team but there are some
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    people who won't join in again as humans
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    we have a strong instinct for shared
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    values and when that's undermined it
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    makes us uneasy hierarchies are
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    necessary but they're also a very common
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    source of anger that's due to people
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    feeling that they lack control they're
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    always subject to the decisions of
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    people above them and sometimes
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    superiors use their power badly they can
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    make arbitrary decisions or suddenly
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    change their instructions or don't
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    follow through on promises that makes
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    the feeling that you lack control even
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    worse especially as your livelihood
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    often depends on those above you in the
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    workplace it's important to understand
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    the reasons why people get angry in the
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    workplace not everyone gets angry about
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    the same things but if you can identify
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    whether someone is angry because of
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    dissatisfaction with the system unequal
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    treatment hindered goals dissimilar
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    values or hierarchical relationships you
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    can be better prepared to deal with them
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    constructively
Tags
  • workplace anger
  • system dissatisfaction
  • unequal treatment
  • hindered goals
  • dissimilar values
  • hierarchy issues
  • self-worth
  • conflict resolution