Is your boss grumpy? Then it's your fault

Published on Tuesday 20 October 2009 22:07

DOES your boss rant like Gordon Ramsay or rage like Alan Sugar? Then according to scientists there is only one person to blame. You.

Experts claim inefficient and awkward workers leave today's business leaders grumpy, fed-up and increasingly angry in the workplace.

The results of a survey published yesterday show that the stress of dealing with petty office squabbles, as well as hiring and firing employees, is enough to turn even the most mild- mannered manager into a fire-breathing dragon.

The findings by academics at the University of Toronto also indicate that stress caused by the conflict between bosses and their workers spills over into their family lives, making their behaviour at work worse, and creating what experts call a "revenge cycle".

Mike Fisher, director of the British Association of Anger Management, points to the fact that, while many managers have worked hard to build business acumen, they are often severely lacking in emotional development.

He said: "People in power are not trained to deal with conflict. If they are not emotionally intelligent, then their anger will spill over from the workplace into the home and back again."

According to Mr Fisher, many businesses are not prepared to train their staff to deal with work-based conflict and the number of bosses referred to his anger management courses has risen over the past ten years.

Researchers also found that the stress caused by "interpersonal conflict" and "work-home interference" made managers more susceptible to headaches, stomach cramps and chest pain.

Graham Bell, of Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce, said: "Overall, anger at work is not acceptable, nor is it legal. Managers in this position are in need of coaching themselves. When they do lose the plot at work, it's usually because of something at home or an incident at work."

He added: "You can't expect people promoted from the margins of a business to be able to motivate people in the centre."