Course: The Psychology of Anger Management at Work

Calm Under Pressure: A Practical Model for Workplace Anger Management Program

Description Overview

This is a practical, evidence informed course outline to assist Australian business and industry cope with the damaging impact of work related anger without having to resort to toxicity. Built for blended delivery, the programme intermingles practical skills (breathwork, cognitive reframes, assertive language), applied roleplay and workplace systems change (feedback loops, leadership modelling). Some initial thoughts: Organisations that take anger to be a personal one rather than an organisational design problem, really do themselves a disservice. And micro sessions, rather than marathon workshops, work better too , people learn in fits and starts. Some will argue otherwise. Fine. Try the bursts.

Context and Background

Workplace anger is seldom just "a bad temper". It's where workload meets perception of fairness, breaks down communication and piles onto the individual regulatory capacity. According to the World Health Organization, depression and anxiety disorders cost the global economy at least an estimated US$1 trillion a year in lost productivity , and unmanaged workplace conflict and anger are a material contributor to this toll. Further locally, Safe Work Australia states mental health is one of the leading causes for serious workers' compensation claims too: an organisational cost to getting this wrong.

We created this agenda for teams throughout Australia , Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and regional centres , with low stress delivery and easy measurement. We will do the facilitation (training team) or can train internal trainers to lead follow up sessions.

Target Audience

Primary Users: Aspiring Leaders and Frontline Managers in Professional Services/Retail.
Secondary audience: HR managers and team leads in operations, logistics and manufacturing, those who have regular stressors of managing a team.

Level: Practical intermediate. This is not wellbeing awareness raising at entry level, nor are we providing clinical therapy. All participants should have some basic knowledge of professional communication and performance management.

Intervention Duration and Modality

Modality: 3 × 2 hour virtual live online sessions delivered over two weeks + optional half day face to face consolidation session (for metro offices).

Why: Learners benefit from small bites of spaced learning, and the face to face opportunity is ideal for roleplay assessment and peer coaching.

Delivery Mode: Hybrid , live virtual workshops (Zoom/MS Teams) for main modules; 1 x in person consolidation day for roleplay labs and leadership practice. All participants come home with e learning pre read & post session digital workbook.

Outcomes & Measures of Change (behavioural and measurable)

Individuals/Teams at the end of the programme will have:

- Reduced reactive, impulsive responses to anger trigger in workplace interactions by using at least two evidence based forms of regulation (reported by employee and observed by manager)
- Increased effective assertive communication such as I statements effectively 40% more overall than pre training (assessed through role plays and peer feedback); and/or demonstrated greater use/incorporation of strong self management strategies
- Improved psychological safety reports within teams by 10% or higher over a three month period in the teams involved
- Reported incidents involving interpersonal conflict formal or informal between staff decreasing by 20% over a six month period (measured through HR incident logs)
- Leaders showing consistent de escalation behaviour in minimum of three observations/trials managing staff getting angry/shouting/overtly aggressive etcetera (manager witnessed score sheet)

Core Components (modular breakdown)

Module 0 , Pre work (self paced; 30 to 45 mins)
- Brief diagnostic survey (anger triggers, frequency, impact)
- 10 minute filmed scenario on poor vs. effective responses
- Reflective prompt: "When did I last respond in a way I wish that were different?" , write 3 short lines

Purpose: prime self awareness, baseline measurement.

Module 1 , Foundations: The Psychology of Anger (2 hrs, virtual)
- Quick myth bust: 'angry' ≠ 'aggressive'; anger is an emotion, not an action
- Explain cognitive appraisal model in non psychologist language (i.e how thought shapes feeling)
- Brief group exercise: spotting triggers within anonymised workplace vignettes
- Micro practice opportunity: 3 minute guided breathing for experiential insight

Facilitator note Australian context: You can provide an Australian workplace example (for example, a rostering dispute in hospitality) as a focus for the learning.

Module 2 , Emotional Regulation Toolbox (2 hours virtual)
- Tools you can use: breathing patterns, progressive muscle relaxation, quick mindfulness anchors
- Cognitive restructuring workshop: Spot the distortion; reframe in real workplace language
- Interactive live practice in breakout rooms with coach and feedback using simple rubrics provided for attendees receive a cheat sheet of the "quick tools"

Opinion: Teach the body first , breathing resets physiology more quickly than logic. Some senior executives will oppose this: Let them watch the science.

Module 3 , Communication & Assertiveness (2 hrs, virtual)
- Spot passive/aggressive/assertive in micro scenes
- Scripted practice: Personal boundary setting, the third party framing I statement ("I notice X, I'm concerned about Y"); conflict de escalation ladders and language to use
- Practice pairs 5×5 min role play with structured feedback

Facilitator hint: The scenarios should be applicable to the group (e.g. customer facing, internal review, performance feedback).

Elective 4 , Leading a No Anger Culture (half day, face to face)
- Systems fixes: how reward systems and rostering feed anger
- Practical policy drafting: brief workplace agreements for feedback (& think conflict)
- Modelling leader behaviour: how to have hard talks that don't make it worse
- Practice: deliver a real time, simulated post incident debrief with a trained actor

Strong opinion: Leadership should be held to a higher standard , accountability counts! Say it.

Module 5 , Embedding and Systems Change (virtual 90 mins)
- Informal peer support and formal escalation pathways established
- Measurement plan in place: what to track and how to make sense of changes
- Time bound action plans for each team created

Assessment and Measurement (integrated)

Baseline measures:
- Pre course diagnostic: self reported frequency of anger; context of incidents; one line description of an incident
- Manager baseline observational checklist

Formative assessment:
- Roleplay scoring with a 6 item rubric (emotional regulation, assertive language, empathy, problem solving skills, boundary setting and control of escalation)
- Peer feedback sheets following each roleplay

Summative assessment:
- Practical observed roleplay in the consolidation day (filmed, scored)
- Post programme survey at 1 and 3 months (anger frequency, conflict incidents, psychological safety)
- Manager observation at 6 weeks using the same checklist as baseline

Performance KPIs to return to stakeholder:
- Reduction in self reported reactive incidents (eg 30% decrease at end of 3 months)
- Increase in assertive communication behaviours (eg certain rate of uptake into practice after 6 weeks , 40%)
- Decrease proportion of formal HR Conflict cases for participating teams (at least a 20% reduction over three months)
- Participant NPS on the programme (>60)

Practical Constraints & Logistics

Price: $495 including GST per participant for 3×2 hour series plus consolidation day; for >20 delegates in cohort, discounts apply

Head count: group size ideally 12 to 18 per cohort for effective breakouts

Location delivery: Virtual nationally; consolidation days Sydney CBD, Melbourne Docklands, Brisbane CBD, Perth Northbridge and regional hubs by request (travel surcharge applies)

Platform requirements: Stable internet connection; create breakout rooms; make chat private to delegate roleplay breakout rooms. Interactive sessions only with the ability to turn off recording aside from consented role plays. Confidentiality agreement required.

What Attendees Will Receive

- Pre session workbook with reflective prompts
- 2 page Quick Reference Cards (breathing protocol, assertive phrases)
- Access to micro learning library: 3 x 10 minute videos for refreshers
- Manager guide: 8 week coaching campaign to embed the learnings within their team

We also offer editable templates to enable organisations to tone language with current policies.

Facilitator Guide & Trainer Notes

- Trainers should have some knowledge of conflict coaching and hold at least one formal workplace training or counselling qualification. A co facilitation team can be beneficial (one skills trainer, one psychologist or EAP representative)
- Utilise live coaching in breakouts; videotaping of one exemplar roleplay per cohort for trainer review only
- Requires confidentiality; the agreement among participants being not to reveal any personal case details outside the training

Teaching Strategies & Adult Learning Design

Tap the enhanced abilities of experienced learners with these learning strategies:
- Spaced repetition: return to key tools across sessions and in post series microlearning
- Experiential learning: practice and feedback is favoured above lecture
- Peer coaching: Regular peer feedback cycles increases psychological ownership
- On the job transfer: each participant walks out the door with a team level action plan commitment to pilot for 6 weeks

Case Studies and Scenario Bank

- Retail: A rostering dispute spirals into a public verbal confrontation
- Healthcare: Soft laden clinicians drive short sighted communication practices/closed off approach leading to patient complaints
- Logistics: Missed deadlines that were visible, the culture is now a blameable one with teams blaming each other at every turn

Each scenario pack contains facilitator prompts, escalation flowcharts and roleplays. Leverage vernacular , call centres, warehouses, corporate offices , for maximum authenticity.

Risk Mitigation and Safety Plans

- Not therapeutic: the course contains support signposting and referral for those who become significantly distressed
- Breaks must be taken and opt out clauses on roleplay, no one is ever forced to replay a high trigger scene. Participants may observe rather than act out scenes with high triggers
- Immediate resources provided; contact EAP or local mental health services
- If an icebreaker has divulged risk of damage, act in accordance with the Organisation's safeguarding procedure

Post Programme Support and Sustainability

- 90 day follow up check ins: small group booster session and manager calibration meeting
- Micro coaching exchange buddy of the month to sustain practice
- Quarterly pulse surveys for managers to track trends

Effort and learning decay rapidly over time without a purposeful sustainment strategy. So schedule the boosters.

Evaluation Framework (detailed)

- Short term: participant satisfaction and knowledge uptake (immediate post course survey)
- Mid term: behavioural change through roleplays & observed manager practice 6 weeks
- Long term business outcomes measures , an absence due to conflict, HR conflict logs filled out by teams, psych safety scores 3 to 6 months
- ROI will involve estimating reduction in time spent on handling conflicts, fewer HR investigations that do not escalate & less turnover. We can have an ROI simple template for Industry/Salary bar locality

Sample Session Plan (a single 2 h virtual session)

- 0 to 10 min: Welcome, housekeeping, micro check in
- 10 to 30 min: Concept input (cognitive appraisal) with two brief examples
- 30 to 50 min: Guided practice (breath, anchor) and reflection
- 50 to 75 min: Breakout roleplay 1 (trigger + immediate response); coach feedback
- 75 to 80 min: Short break
- 80 to 105 min: Breakout roleplay 2 (assertive reframe); structured peer review
- 105 to 115 min: Whole group debrief and key takeaways
- 115 to 120 min: Action planning and close

Scalability and Long term Integration

- Roll out a 2 day certification to internal trainers after 2 cohorts as disbursement takes place in all locations
- Lace short micro learning into LMS for on demand refresher
- Make anger management metrics part of leadership KPIs to incentivise behaviour change

Appendix: Example Roleplay Rubric (6 items, scale 1 to 5)

1. Identifies with his own physical symptoms of rage
2. Speaks well , is able to use a resilience technique
3. Communicates assertively and respectfully
4. Tries to see the other person's point of view
5. Proposes a constructive next step
6. Escalates appropriately if needed

Final Notes , Real World Example

This program was developed by trainers who have witnessed one too many unnecessary escalations. It's realistic: people are not going to come back from lunch hour as saints. They will, however, get better at catching themselves , saying things that defuse rather than detonate; working with leaders to change the systems that are repeatedly triggering their anger. Provide staff with the language, practice and permission to pause. Then expect a measurable difference.

If you want it pumping beyond several locations , Sydney, Geelong and Canberra springs to mind , we can expand. We will coordinate with your HR department to establish metrics that match the level of support offered. Start small. Scale thoughtfully.

Emotional intelligence plays a crucial role in managing workplace anger, as it helps individuals recognise and regulate their emotional responses before they escalate into conflicts.