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7 Deadly Sins in Business – Wrath 
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Bob Ryan, About Purpose, Inc. ©2008
“This is a business newsletter, what do I care about The 7 Deadly Sins?” Read on. Because those 7 Deadly Sins that most of us grew up hearing about will destroy a business just as fast as they are said to destroy our lives. These next several months this newsletter will answer why you really should care about The 7 Deadly Sins in your workplace.
Last month, we focused on sloth (laziness) and seemed to have hit a “hot button” for a lot of people. Of course, sloth always seems to be a problem other people have! Read 7 Deadly Sins - Sloth.
Wrath - hatred, anger, vengeance; 1 : strong vengeful anger or indignation. I’m not sure any person alive could honestly claim never having experienced wrath. It touches all of us to some degree or another, although each of us expresses our anger differently. With road rage, mall rage, school shootings and the popularization of the phrase, “going postal,” wrath has definitely made a mark on the marketplace.
Let’s take a look at why I believe it needs to be included as one of the 7 Deadly Sins in Business.
First, let’s get this question out of the way: “Is wrath always wrong?” It may be a matter of semantics, but I suggest that showing wrath is unproductive, and generally harmful in the workplace. Feeling wrath or anger may have some positive aspects. Our emotions are what they are and they often take us by surprise. It is in the acting on our emotions that we get into difficult situations. So, if we define wrath simply as an emotion, no it is not always wrong, but you and I both know that we and most others carry wrath far beyond an internal feeling. This article will illustrate what it looks like when acted on, and hopefully lead to more self control.
Loud, raging anger – We all know what that looks and sounds like. This is the wrath that gets into the newspapers, hurts people, creates embarrassing “scenes” and can lead to life threatening situations. People that yell, throw things, call names, etc. are poison in the workplace. Get counseling and change or get out.
Quiet, seething anger – Not so noticeable are the people who carry their anger below the surface without dealing with it. The anger builds and deepens until, like a volcano, it must transform into loud, raging anger. Quiet, seething anger scares me the most in the market place because it is so hard to identify. Witness some of the school shootings or the apparently unprovoked attacks on some workplaces in the news. Short of mandatory psychological testing, the best deterrent here is effective supervision and regular, timely performance appraisals.
Sideways, sarcastic anger – This kind of wrath often plays itself out in “joking.” People who take shots at others in the guise of humor and then further belittle the offended person with comments like, “Wow, touchy, aren’t we?” This is classic “hostile workplace” material and every manager and owner should be on the lookout for it. Not only does it poison relationships among coworkers, it also is very likely to spill over into how customers are talked about and then eventually, how they are treated.
Passive aggressive anger – This type of anger is so difficult to deal with because the outlet for the emotion is usually quite removed from the source. People who engage in passive aggressive behavior may engage in work slow down, gossip, or even stealing and sabotage. Supervisors can be effective in catching this type of wrath by questioning the “whys” of people’s performance and attitude issues.
So, what positive role can wrath play in the workplace? Perhaps it alerts us to injustice and warns us that situations may be charged with far more emotion than is healthy. A productive, functional workplace fosters communication, feedback, and “grace,” that is, acceptance of mistakes as teachable moments.
Look at your own workplace. If you see any sign of wrath, know that it is indeed a deadly sin and you probably need to give it immediate attention. This is often beyond the skill of the typical supervisor, so don’t wait too long to call in professional health. In addition to creating a more healthy workplace, you just may be saving a life.