How to respond to an angry person.

NYLT_Ken Strongman 07 — Responding to angry persons.

One of the key steps to resolve any conflict is knowing how to respond to an angry person. You just have to listen to them.

When you’re listening to an angry person:

Be attentive and patient: Keep in mind that they will become less angry as you let them express themselves.

Be sincere: Empathy and validation must be both honest and genuine. Don’t react any other way.

Be calm: Try to remove your own emotions from the discussion. Remember that an angry person may say inflammatory things in the heat of the moment, but you do not have to react angrily. They may be trying to push your buttons and make you angry. By so doing, they believe that they will gain the upper hand in the conflict.

**For the last decade I’ve been involved with leadership development of tomorrow’s leaders. Using my expertise, I am training the youth leaders in conflict resolution. This blog is adapted from my training materials.

About the Author: Ken Strongman (www.kpstrongman.com) has years of experience and a growing national reputation as a mediator and arbitrator. He has successfully resolved more than a thousand disputes in the fields of construction defects, real estate, intellectual property, and employment. He is also a Mediator and Arbitrator for FINRA.