Three Faces of Fear in the Workplace
By Daniel Robin
The previous article brought workplace fear into the spotlight – not so we could keep a watchful eye on it while getting paranoid, ambulance but so we can begin to turn it into mutual gain. How? Understand it’s many faces: this article pinpoints the types of fear that zap productivity and cause needless suffering, sale providing tools to move forward despite it.
We all bring our personal history to our workplace relationships. Many of us learned “fear tactics” from our parents, cheap who, with good intentions and limited options, used threats to get us to obey their authority. Unfortunately, when such authority is imposed upon us, it not only destroys morale and keeps organizations from moving forward, but left unaddressed, leads to office politics, turf wars, entrenched negativity, and eventually a fight-or-flight response that doesn’t work for anybody.
In many workplaces, an unfortunate pattern starts when employees are afraid to ask questions or take a position. These faces will help you get familiar with the complex and often intangible sources of fear, and thereby invite new options for getting free of it.
Are there different “types” of fear? Is there a form of fear that could be helpful? Have you ever considered whether there’s anything good about fear?
What’s Good About Fear?
Would it surprise you to know that many executives quietly believe that fear is “good” – or inadvertently cause fear in others in an attempt to motivate? Is fear an effective motivational tool? Though it may yield short-term gains, it always has a downside, is manipulative and disruptive, and often backfires. Most short-term practices produce negative results in the long run, as shown in the AQF study; externally imposed fear is simply destructive … it either inhibits or causes overreaction such as knee-jerk resistance.
Instead of extrinsic motivation, demonstrate leadership by tapping into the vast ocean of intrinsic motivaters; people are already motivated, and wise leaders need only harness what already exists. People are far more likely to go the extra mile when they see a demonstrated concern for employee well-being – not the often-heard “You’d better … or else … and that’s final.”
On the other hand, fear that comes from within you – such as a concern that you might not meet a deadline you voluntarily agreed to – produces discomfort or anxiety and if it doesn’t cause overwhelm, will inspire action. Manageable fear acts as the fuel for improvement. It propels us forward and helps us move through stuck points or shy away from hazards. A permanent “comfort zone,” where neither fear nor excitement is experienced, is not conducive to personal growth or peak performance. No crisis or challenge, no risk-taking, no results, no rewards…
When fear is self-imposed – that is, when you or I sign up for it – then it is more often a natural part of learning. But if I’m concerned about being judged or penalized or fired … I’m not going to learn, and I might not even hang around, let alone perform well.
So if we can fully commit to building a workplace culture where externally-imposed fear is headed for extinction, we’ll all win.
Anything causing you angst at work? How about the people around you? Unless you work entirely on your own, chances are good that one or more fear-based patterns exist that, if addressed skillfully, could make your work much more enjoyable and improve results company-wide.
Fear’s cause can be recognized in one of three faces or masks. : (1) a judging face, (2) an unknown face (a faceless mask that causes uncertainty), and (3) a face that we can see, but don’t dare talk about. The purpose: recognize each face so it can be turned to your advantage.
(1) The Face of Judgment
A judging, critical face, sometimes angry, out to make us wrong, confronts us by getting right in our face. This face speaks and points an accusational, parental finger.
The FUD factor (Fear, Uncertainty & Doubt) kicks in big time when we are judged harshly, as it brings up defensiveness, making it difficult to learn or focus on solving problems.
What can you do in response? Remain centered and responsive to the message or “feedback” this face has to deliver – that’s all you need be responsible for. Get the information, acknowledge and understand intentions, and the transaction stops there. If it’s not too much of a stretch, practice thanking the person (not the FUD face, but the person “behind the curtain”) for being willing to come to you directly, because not coming to you would be worse.
(2) The Unknown Face of Uncertainty
An unknown foe, the “faceless” mask, is perhaps the most common and disturbing for many of us at work. Why? In today’s workplace, where an employee’s destiny gets interwoven with the company’s, unless there’s evidence to the contrary, many people will tend to hallucinate the worst. We constantly look for evidence that we are valued contributors. That our efforts matter. That we’ll be given a fair shake. These are the keys to job satisfaction, quality, and productivity.
According to a recent study of 580 companies by the American Quality Foundation (AQF), the uncertainty and doubt caused by ambiguous behavior, inconsistency, vague requests, or absent authority is most likely to cause a cycle of fear and mistrust. It’s often so subtle as to be invisible, and insidious because of it.
Is there a way out? There is if you set healthy boundaries (next month’s topic) and avoid mistaking interpretations for facts.
Why Are We Doing This?
Thus, employer’s would benefit from providing a safe environment, full of timely two-way feedback, positive recognition, and clear agreements; free from ambiguity, vagueness, shadows of doubt … and yet, there’s a natural and unfortunate tendency to only explain or express what seems to be easily expressible. What can you do about it? Make it easy to say what needs to be said. Prevent misunderstandings by asking questions that clarify intentions.
(3) The Face of Undiscussability. You probably know it well, and you are sharply aware of its impact. It starts with the cold shoulder from some negative assumption, or the sense that your feelings are “unacceptable” or that you don’t dare speak up about an important issue. Alas, the fear itself perpetuates a loop of undiscussability, and it remains taboo until you feel sufficient support to name the “elephant in the livingroom.”
The way out, in the case, is through it: openly discuss the barriers to discussion, and brainstorm ideas to help overcome them.
Why Fear Zaps Productivity
Somehow, given that some degree of fear is natural, no matter what it’s cause (known or imagined), we must somehow remain present despite the “old brain” impulse to run and/or hide. When fear is present, it’s all too easy to lose track of our overarching purpose at work and get caught in a power struggle (or in looking for an escape hatch).
Fear has the unfortunate side effect of keeping our attention on avoiding or moving away from the thing that’s causing the fear, not on our work. Garden-variety fears – concerns, objections, discomforts – will take up little time or energy if we handle them in the moment. How? Acknowledge what you don’t want. If there’s any real danger of this happening, decide if action is necessary, assess your options, and deal with it.
