Archive for May, 2008
"No one moves while they're angry" – 2 tips for dealing with angry people
Like the rich, angry people are different from you and I…
Seth Godin puts it elequently:
It’s tempting to treat an angry person just like a typical person, just… angrier.
This is probably a mistake, because anger brings its own reality along with it.
let that sink in – anger brings its own reality along with it.
An angry customer isn’t just a little less valuable than a non-angry customer.
In fact, she’s on a curve all her own.
You’re not even in the same universe as the angry person,
let alone the same page.
I have two suggestions for dealing with angry folks:
1. Sometimes, you can just avoid them.
You can choose not to work with angry people. Just move on.
There are plenty of non-angry people out there.
Not always an option at work, but the best option when it’s available.
The temptation is to go for this solution even and especially when it’s not an option.
2. You can acknowledge the anger and understand that
until you make the anger go away, all responses are going to be
off the charts and completely useless to you.
here’s another one to let sink in slowly -
until the anger goes away, none of your normal tools work:
Appeals to fairness don’t work.
Appeals to reason don’t work.
The opportunity in working with an angry person is that
you can somehow turn that angry person into a non-angry one…
and from there, move them up the curve to a relationship you both value.The mistake marketers make all the time is that we believe that
moving the person up the curve is the next step.It’s not.
No one moves while they’re angry.
In essence, they’re fighting you
and your first reasonable reaction is to defend yourself
against the barrage directed at you.
Which causes you to get angry, or at least defensive,
until you realize that they’re not angry at you,
they’re merely angry near you.
another day's battle with inner resistance
it’s the start of another day
and the familiarity with a new schedule.
another coworker is rattled with having
his father take a rather bad turn
in a rather faraway place, which served to
keep him on edge for most of the day.
add to the mix a few truly annoying
coeds and customers and you have the makings
of a really trying day.
Which it was.
these are the type of days which
leave you to doubt why you’re here
if you only focus on the day
and exclude all other better days.
on some days realizing that the battle
of inner resistance is fought anew each day is frustrating.
Not today.
The battle of inner resistance begins again tomorrow.
For that I am grateful.
Reading: "Easy way to reset your sleep cycle"
Reading: “Easy way to reset your sleep cycle: Stop eating” – not for diabetics though, as it requires you to not eat for 12 hours.