Sometimes, you just have to get mad at work.

Michele Williams, professor of management and entrepreneurship in the The University of Iowa Tippie College of Business, said that while many people generally think workplace anger is a sign of poor management, sometimes it’s the only way to make a point.

“People think of anger as negative, but when you express it in a socially acceptable way, that gives information to help work relationships move forward,” she said. “If you never express any anger, people don’t know there’s a problem and it never gets fixed.”

It might be an employee who missed a deadline because they mismanaged their time, or a supplier who consistently delivers poor quality products. Sometimes, it’s the only way to show that something needs to be made a priority.

So go ahead, get mad once in awhile. But this doesn’t mean you can be mean or abusive. And for women, it carries a potential danger because getting angry can often be used against them. Williams points to numerous studies that show men are seen as justified and assertive when they get angry, but women who show anger are seen as overly emotional and out of control.

“Women are expected to be confident and assertive, but also have kindness and compassion in their behavior,” she said. “They’re dinged if they’re seen as not having that.”