Maintaining Your Composure When Frustrated

Behaving in a professional manner is the key to success in the workplace. Maintaining that demeanor, even in stressful times, can be a challenge. What does it mean to be “professional” at work? The definition varies, but usually includes:

• Competence: possessing knowledge and expertise in your field
• Reliability: being able to meet or exceed expectations, deliver quality work on time, and complete tasks with minimal oversight.
• Ethics and Integrity: acting with honesty, fairness, respecting confidentiality, and adhering to workplace policies and laws.
• Effective Communication: able to communicate clearly, respectfully, and appropriately, tailoring their message to the audience and context.
• Respectful Behavior: treating colleagues, clients, and stakeholders with respect, irrespective of their background or role, including showing consideration for others’ ideas and contributions, valuing diversity, and fostering an inclusive environment where everyone feels valued.
• Accountability: taking responsibility for both their successes and mistakes and learning from feedback to improve.
• Positive Attitude: maintaining a positive, solution-focused attitude, even in challenging situations or when faced with criticisms or setbacks.
• Appearance and Demeanor: presenting yourself in a way that makes a positive impression that aligns with your organization’s internal culture and expectations.

Here are some techniques that can help you deal with emotional reactions to negative situations at work.

1. Acceptance. It is normal to get mad when things go wrong. It is best to step back and acknowledge that your emotions are normal so that you can move on to problem-solving.
2. Displacement. While you are experiencing a range of emotions that you may not initially control, it may be best for a change of scenery. Get up from your desk, walk out of your office, and take some deep breaths outside. Imagine how you would like to see yourself react while you calm down.
3. Articulation. Once you have spent some time thinking things through, it may be time to talk it out with the source of the issue. Remember the basic communication principles. Remember who you are communicating with and what will be effective in reaching them with your point.
4. Improvement. After recognizing and dealing with your feelings, it is time to understand the true source of the issue so it can be solved going forward. For example, you were called out on some errors made in your analysis, but you know that you were not given adequate notice to properly prepare the report and double-check it. Address this with your manager and request an appropriate process in the future to allow for more careful work.^[1]