How to Coach Angry Employees Through a Major Change

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Become a better leader and coach with this step by step guidance on what to do when employees are angry with you because of something the company changed.

If anything has changed in your workplace lately this is a post you want to keep. People will usually respond to office changes in one of two ways: with emotion and without. However, as leaders often ask me how to specifically handle an issue step by step, this post allows us to be much more specific and target your area of need with the information here and a downloadable eBook that gives you detailed guidance. That is the power of our step by step series.

For starters, if an employee responds to the change with emotion, they are usually excited or ticked off. Excited employees are fun to lead and easy to coach. Those ticked off can give you a reason to buy the book Make Difficult People Disappear and start seeking out an Uncle Guido. Ha! But, if this is the issue you face, become a better leader and a better coach by following these steps for leadership success:

Pay Attention to Personality

Who an employee is makes a difference in how they respond to stress. What is their personality? Are they normally ambitious and driven? Anger will cause them to be demanding and controlling, in outbursts of expression. This is not a reflection of employees suddenly becoming difficult, but a reflection of how they respond naturally to stress. Changes in the workplace can create great stress. Want to know more about personality? Review page 5 in the eBook closely.

Listen, Learn, and Lead

These are each individual steps in the process and here is where you’ll find more leadership guidance. In short, listen to the employee’s venting and expression. Hear what they say and hear them out. Learn where they are and why they are so angry. Learn the real issues behind the anger and lead them through it. Here are more than eleven ways to coach an angry employee through a major office change and one that may really surprise you.

I’m Monica Wofford and that’s your Monday Moment. Have a great week, an even better Monday, and of course, stay contagious!

Do you know others struggling with leading employees through change? Share this post on your social media channels and tell us what you think.