Trying to communicate with someone who is angry is one of the most difficult business challenges. Whether the person is a fellow employee, a manager, or a customer, your natural response to their anger may be to respond in kind. The key to managing another person's anger lies in breaking the cycle and establishing a mutual understanding. By finding common ground, you can unlock the conflict and begin to build communication, step by step. The article provides guidelines for calming such situations. During this first phase, you should use active listening skills, connect with someone on his or her emotional level, ask if the person would like additional information, and when permitted give explanation but keep your statement short and simple.