Blame yourself for your boss' grumpiness

According to a new study, the stress of dealing with petty office squabbles, as well as hiring and firing employees, can easily turn even the most mild-mannered manager into a firing dragon, reports The Scotsman.

The research, conducted by academics at the University of Toronto, also pinpoints that stress caused by the conflict between bosses and their workers spills over into their family lives. Such an effect can make their behaviour at work worse, the experts said.

Mike Fisher, director of the British Association of Anger Management, 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."

In the study, 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 the 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."

Illustration: Uttam Ghosh