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F R OM T H E F O U N D E R
Know your triggers
M ost people – not all, certainly, but most – have “triggers.” Those are the things that can really upset them quickly if they occur. Use these tactics to respond to the things that trigger you emotionally and contribute to you losing your temper.
Many of these triggers are related to things certain other people may say or do – particularly in the workplace. And if you are a manager, you have to be very aware (and wary!) of these things. One of the worst sins you can commit is losing your cool. You never want to do that. It is an instant way to generate fear, uncertainty, and lose the respect of your people. I can reflect back on my career and identify many of those triggers. And I didn’t always respond the way I should have. Maybe if I had been more cognizant of how my reaction to those things affected other people I would have been a better manager. Being an effective manager is an art. And it is also a learned skill. I’m not going to belabor all of the differences in management and leadership – it’s not
the point of this treatise. I will say, however, that being an effective leader certainly helps you do a better job as a manager. And losing your temper isn’t going to help you be effective as either one. So what can you do if there are certain people – or things that people you work with do – that trigger you emotionally and contribute to you losing your cool? Here are some tactics that can help: 1. Know and acknowledge whatever it is that leads you to have an emotional response. Make out a complete list. Keep it private. Add to it over time. The notes app on your phone is the perfect place to keep this list. 2. Rehearse in your mind how you will ideally want
Mark Zweig
See MARK ZWEIG , page 12
THE ZWEIG LETTER JANUARY 17, 2022, ISSUE 1424
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