How to deal with an Emotional Outburst of your people at workplace?

Emotional breakout of employees at the workplace due to work or personal-related issues wreaks havoc in the workplace. Not all people respond to tension-filled scenarios in a calm and composed manner. Some will have a logical response while some may react highly emotionally.

We can never control how people will respond to stressful situations, but we can control how to respond to such people and manage the situation.

How do you as managers manage such emotional employees?

If you ignore this problem, it won’t go away on its own. It will rather upset the employee and there are chances it gets spilled over to other employees, thereby disturbing the safe and productive space of everyone.

Such scenarios can be a double-edged sword for managers. If you respond incorrectly, you send the wrong message to the team. But if you manage such situations in the correct way, you get a perfect opportunity to showcase that your organization cares for its people.

Here are some tips on how to effectively manage the emotional outburst of an employee during a stressful situation in the workplace-

1.??????Read the clues- Be attentive enough to read the emotional clues your people are giving off- it could be a change in their body language, tone of voice, or facial expressions.

2.??????Find a private place- Identify a private and safe place where you can initiate the conversation and allow the team member to let it all out. Let the person blow off steam by listening to him without making any judgment.

3.??????Show empathy- Be compassionate and start a conversation where you try to identify what is the root cause of the outburst.?It will help you strengthen the relationship with your team.

4.??????Focus on solutions- Once you understand the problem try to discuss possible solutions. Keep in mind that the blame game is never helpful rather it will further escalate the problem. Talk about how the problem can be solved by discussing a few possible solutions and their outcome.

5.??????Give them time- If the outburst is the result of personal issues or something that is beyond your expertise and control advise seeking professional help. You can provide a break in the workday, a day or week off, or make their workload lighter for some time if there is a case of extreme distress.

6.??????Keep connected with people- Make sure to keep emotionally connected with the people. Also always keep a follow-up on how they are doing since their last issue in case of any.

7.??????Encourage compassion and care among team members throughout the workplace.

8.??????Organize training sessions for senior managers on positive people management, conflict management, and communication skills.

Managing an emotional outburst may seem like a challenging task but these simple tips can help navigate the situation with more awareness. Utilize such situations as an opportunity to showcase that your organization cares for its people.

Above all, people would always love to be in a place where they are valued, heard, and cared for.