A Wolf in Poodle's Clothing
Most anger management programs advocate anger suppression. Suppression comes in two forms: silent or muted.An explanation of why these practices are preferred over using anger to our benefit is generally never addressed. The risks and consequences resulting from suppressing our anger can be equally as dangerous as deviant anger.
Suppression: Silent Anger
Silent anger is the practice of hiding or masking our anger and never expressing it. This does not mean we cannot express our anger to ourselves, or even in an outside group. Hiding our anger refers to keeping our emotions away from the people that are directly affected by our anger, whether causing it or not. Several medical practitioners have concluded the health risks involved in silent anger, including impaired incidental memory and cardiovascular complications. The greatest consequence, of course, is the communication failure between the person experiencing anger and the aggressor.
Suppression: Muted Anger
Muted anger is often promoted by anger management courses. This type of suppression relies on the individual or group experiencing anger to express that anger to parties unassociated with the problem. As a result, the problem remains unresolved. Studies by interview have shown that when an angered individual "vents" to an outside source, a greater feeling of anger and hostility rose toward the aggressor. Another consequence of muted anger comes from the phenomenon of social unity; people unrelated to the original problem join in with the angered person. This is similar to the effect of gossip, and is sometimes referred to as--wouldn't you believe it--"angry gossip".
But I'm Not a Poodle
Remember that as a manager, it is your responsibility to generate a healty work environment and raise productivity. Although it may seem like an employee works better when they hide their anger, perhaps the long-term effects would prove to be less beneficial. Also, much of the office environment could be hidden within the "angry gossip" of other groups, especially toward managers. Although the consequences of suppressed anger are seemingly cheaper than those associated with deviant anger, the psychological and social effects can be equally dangerous.