Monday, September 27, 2021

4 Ways to Handle a Colleague Who Yells at You



Have you ever had someone yell at you at work?

It's not fun. It's happened to me, and I can tell you that it was not a pleasant experience.

What should you do if a colleague yells at you while on the job? You need to:

1.  Stand up for yourself. Some people might not be able to do this, or may be so shocked in the moment that they can't respond to the person yelling. But keep your voice level (don't start yelling) and calmly say how the yelling makes you feel. For example, "Your yelling makes me feel uncomfortable and disrespected." Wait for a response and don't talk over the other person.

2. Remove yourself. If you can't think of anything to say and the yelling continues, leave. Say, "I'll talk to you another time when you're calmer and more respectful," and go to the restroom or a quite place to calm down.

3. Report the incident. It's OK to go to human resources or your boss to report what happened. Be as professional as possible in describing the facts as they unfolded. Ask for advice on what you should do or how they might help you resolve the issue.

4. Resolve it. You may believe that you can just ignore the whole thing, but it's better to get the issue resolved so that it doesn't interfere with your ability to do your job effectively. Ask to speak privately with the person and calmly say again how the yelling made you feel. Believe it or not, the person may not even remember the incident, especially if he or she is known for yelling. But it's OK to say that you don't want it to happen again and want to find a better way to interact with one another.




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