Will Lukang, PMP, CSM, MBA, MASCL

I’ll start by referring to a quote, “Control your emotion or it will control you.”   The quote is very true.  How many times have you witnessed someone losing their cool or having an outburst in the workplace?   It is really that bad that it merits a person losing their temper and chewing people out.   It is unfortunate that such things do happen in the workplace.  We all have to understand that at the end of the day it is just work and nothing is personal.

It’s like a car that runs smoothly when everything is in balance.  Losing one’s emotion can affect the way people perceive you.   It also shows the lack of experience in managing the situation around you.   You can blame the fact that someone was out to get you and they needle you to the point that you crack, but it does nothing to your reputation but to show people that you are not able to take the heat.

Here are a couple of suggestions to handle your emotions:

1)    Keeping things in perspective – it is not the end of the world.  Work is work and keep personal stuff away from work stuff

2)    Be self aware – understand who are around you and how you will conduct yourself

3)    Know your limit – if someone is needling you and you are about to lose your cool,  take a deep breath and try to stay calm

4)    Request a recess – if you think you cannot handle the situation, request a recess and reconvene  when you clear your head and are ready to face the situation

5)    A scar will last forever – a wound will heal, but the scar will last forever.  The painful words we say at that heated moment can come back and haunt us.   We can’t take it back; worse yet, the scar will last a lifetime

So the next time you feel the heat, take a deep breath and take a break.  If you want people to respect you, you need to show the same courtesy.  Life is a two-way street; we get what we give and ultimately human relationship is what makes things work.   The better we are in controlling our emotion, the better the chance that people will respect us for who we are. I’ll end my blog with this quote from Brian Koslow, “To increase your effectiveness, make your emotions subordinate to your commitments.”