1. First anger gets you no where . It is difficult to keep your temper when someone is screaming and being condescending towards you. Take a deep breath and listen don't interrupt,you need to be a active listener and take in the content and the feelings that are being expressed. You must control your feelings and de-escalate not escalate the situation. Screaming and hollering back does nothing but make the situation worse.

2. Remember something has triggered the argument and your listening skills need to be empathetic and have acceptance of the situation. You need to keep eye contact and not look away this conveys a not caring attitude.When you respond you need to do it in a slow even tempo this will convey that you are sincere and thoughtful. If you use a loud voice you can trigger more aggression and anger. Active listening can be nonverbal leaning forward and nodding in a positive manner can calm the situation.

3. Once you have determined the concern or problem with good listening skills you can work on solving the situation. Try and help the person look at things from a different perspective with different conclusions. You need to developed good listen skills to define the problem and construct positive alternatives. A good listener allows plenty of questions and answers in a calm controlled voice and mannerisms. A good rapport and trust are needed to effectively calm a bad situation down, good listening techniques will help you achieve this.