Team members may occasionally get upset about a decision you have made, a new policy being enforced or another work-related issue. It is important you respond to the negative emotions so they do not diminish trust or significantly affect your team’s performance.
Harvard Business Review offers some strategies for managing anger and resentment when they occur.
- Do not take the anger or resentment personally. View these expressions as data—not a threat—and try not to get defensive or dismiss your team’s feedback.
- Ask for more information. Provide a safe space for team members to vent to you without shame or fear of retribution, and focus on what you can learn from their feedback.
- Invite your team to partner with you to explore solutions addressing their concerns that can benefit everyone. It helps to channel their frustration into a positive, productive outcome.
- Build deeper trust by owning your part. You may not have been the direct cause of your team’s frustration, but you should own up to any blind spots you may have and commit to continuing to learn and grow.
