The Human GRENADE
Grenade Strategy Review
Your Goal: Take Control of the Situation, A.S.A.P.
1. Get their attention. As quickly as possible (because if you wait too long it's too late!) raise the volume of your voice so you can be heard through the explosion, and wave your hands slowly back and forth in front of you. If you don't know their name, call them by their gender (Sir, or Ma'am). This is not the time to make up a new name for them. This is the one problem person with whom it is appropriate and effective for you to be louder! But you don't want to be misunderstood as being aggressive, so make certain that your tone and language are friendly.
2. Aim for the heart. Use these generic grenade interruption statements: "I don't want you to feel that way!" "This is a misunderstanding." "Nobody should have to feel this way!" Or, if you happened to catch the first few frustrated statements they made leading up to the explosion, speak to that..."We care how long you worked on this project!" "You've obviously worked hard at this!"
3. Reduce Intensity. If your aim is true, the Grenade will register the heart-hit by trying to shake off the anger. If you see rapid eye blinking, that's a good sign...it means the Grenade is running a systems check to make sure nothing was damaged by their near explosion. That's a good time to begin reducing your own volume and intensity. You can talk them down from their peak of explosion to a normal level of communication by reducing intensity in yourself.
4. Time off for good behavior. There is absolutely no point in trying to have a reasonable discussion about the cause of the explosion while the problem person has adrenaline still coursing hotly through their blood stream. This is the time to take time out, whether it's for 5 seconds, 10 minutes, an hour, a day or a week. "Let's take a break for ___________(time). Then we can talk about this and work everything out.
5. Grenade Prevention. Here's an idea. Figure out where the pin is, and in the future, DON'T PULL IT! At some future time (peacetime), you can come right out and ask the Grenade what makes him or her mad. A good way to start is by stating your intent clearly. "I want to reduce conflict with you." Then ask what made him or her so angry that 'last time.' Use clarification questions to get specifics. You may discover that you're not the only pin puller. In such a case, by investing a little time into this process of listening to the problems facing this person, by supporting them in talking instead of blowing up, you will be one of those few people around whom the Grenade never loses it again.
Back, NOW! I want to try this with a Grenade!
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Ten Types 
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