People skills are paramount in today's angst-filled offices.

Byline: Marcia Heroux Pounds

There's one essential rule to follow in today's workplace: Keep your cool.

It's not always easy to do. Tension is rampant at many companies as they go through layoffs, mergers and other culture-changing events.

"Let's get rid of the hothead. We don't need more drama in this office right now," is a likely response when management is deciding who to cut in a layoff, said Barbara Pachter, author of "The Power of Positive Confrontation."

Experts say there are techniques and language you can master to keep calm and sane in the face of stress, conflict and political back-stabbing at work.

Let it go. Often, …