Organizational Fear … what are your people afraid of?

In any organization, some people are afraid and have fears.

Some fears are external to the organization, but many, including some of the strongest fears, are intrinsic to the organization. 

Fear affects productivity, staff retention, organizational success, and hinders growth.  On a personal level, unchecked fear causes anxiety and stress.  As owners, managers, executive directors, senior people, and even the fearful person, we all have a responsibility to exorcise these fears. 

The continuum of fear can range from simple anxiety to being concerned about serious personal injury or even death in extreme situations.  Acknowledging fear without judgment is important because fear is very subjective.  What one-person fears may be completely different from someone else fears; however, whatever the fears are, does not diminish the reality of the fear nor does reduce the importance of resolving those fears for the individual or the organization.

Consider your organization; do any of the following fears affect your people, your coworkers, or even yourself? 

Fear of starting a new job.  A very common one for most people.  New people, new responsibilities, and new comfort zones to find.  Good organizations have a “living” on-boarding process that builds confidence in the new person and their faith in the organization. 

Fear of not fitting in or missing out.  Social interaction and inclusiveness in an organization’s culture are powerful motivators for some people.  The threat or anxiety of being excluded can affect anyone.  People suffering from this fear can also be susceptible to negative influences from factions within your organization.

Fear of reporting something they have seen.  Culture and a sense of belonging can be strong determining factors in someone’s loyalty.  Theft, harassment, and other activities may go unreported because of a perceived loss of belonging.

Fear of Standing out or being singled out.  Some people seem to be conditioned to avoid being the center of attention, positively or negatively.  Take care to build confidence and trust in everyone, but recognize and pay special attention to these people.    

Fear of discovery.  A person may have aspects of their lives that they do not want to share with other people.  They may be fearful of being “outed” either on purpose or accidentally.

Fear of doing something for the first time.  I have noticed that this fear seems to grow with time for some people.  Embarrassment and their internal expectations seem to drive this fear.  As an organization, you can provide interactive training as well as an emphatic trainer to balance compliance and understanding.  This fear can affect new or existing people.  Even after a skill or procedure has been trained, gauge comprehension by asking the person to demonstrate knowledge rather than simply asking if they understand.  Be accessible when questions occur.

Fear of being personal injury.  Workplaces can be dangerous environments.  Many people are fearful of not having the proper training or even after having training of still being uncomfortable.  Workplace hazards can include having to deal with irate customers or clients.  All workplaces should have ongoing training for any hazards including “how to deal with difficult people.”

Fear of illness and/or heredity diseases.  While not directly work-related, stress and anxiety about personal health can affect productivity and morale as much or more than the fear of personal injury.  Reaction to Covid-19 restrictions provided a classic example of how fear of a virus can split many friendships and organizations.

Fear of losing responsibility or favorite tasks.  Losing an enjoyable task or responsibility can negatively affect self-concept and job satisfaction.  As people age or develop, physical limitations can increase this fear.  More common to older people, this fear can increase as new technology or new processes enter the workplace.  Interestingly, promotions can also affect this fear, as often people must relinquish old tasks and duties as part of changing roles.  Some organizations misread or fail to appreciate the impact of this fear.

Fear of omission.  For people proud of their reputation and their self-image they can have a high sense of responsibility.  Their ability to perform their functions with a high degree of knowledge and accuracy can suffer when mistakes occur.  Many internalize the mistake, mentally punish themselves, and ironically are more likely to make more mistakes because they cannot forgive themselves for that initial error or mistake.

Fear of being wrong.  How does your organization manage failure or mistakes?  Are mistakes punished directly or indirectly?  Are wrong decisions treated as learning opportunities?  How are mistakes treated by key people?  Is what you think happens the same as what your people are experiencing.  If people are fearful and avoid reporting their mistakes the organization will inevitably suffer.

Fear of being out of control.  Feeling helpless or powerless in any or all situations is a debilitating problem for organizations and can happen to volunteers, staff, clients/customers, and supervisory people.  For supervisory staff having to enforce unpopular edicts without having input or higher-level support is a prime source of tension for those people.

Fear of having to control everything.  Not wanting people to make mistakes is a common problem for supervisors.  The issue can quickly evolve into a situation where supervisors do not trust anyone other than themselves.  This unwillingness to delegate hurts everyone in an organization, people resent the lack of trust, and growth is stifled for the organization and all of its people. 

Fear of harassment.  One of the most common problems in organizations.  Harassment takes many forms, having a harassment policy that is communicated and constantly updated cannot be overestimated.

Fear of looking dumb.  Many people when asked if they understand a new procedure or policy, inevitably will say yes they do even if they don’t.  These same people may not ask questions to clarify situations for the same reason of not wanting to appear “dumb.”   Recognize their pride may not easily allow them to admit that they don’t know something.  The fear of embarrassment and ridicule are powerful influencers for some people’s behavior.

Fear of creating disappointment.  Some people identify with their jobs, even volunteer ones, to the point where they will allow themselves to suffer personally rather than jeopardize their organization because of their sense of responsibility.  The ultimate manifestation can be seen when people avoid transfers, promotions, or even retirement because they do not want to disappoint anyone.

Fear of letting a client/customer down or giving out the wrong information.  Making a mistake that will harm or hinder a client or customer comes from a strong sense of responsibility.  The fear of giving wrong information can dramatically increase the daily stress and anxiety to unsustainable levels without intervention by someone who recognizes this situation.

Fear of not having enough money.  Many people will do jobs or stay in positions they hate because of the responsibility they have to their families often sacrificing their personal happiness and goals because of this fear.  This situation may result in several issues, ranging from substance abuse to depression. 

Fear of being trapped.  As mentioned in the preceding fear, some people feel trapped by their jobs, responsibilities, education, and other factors.  They may feel they can’t go back, they can’t go forward, and they can’t stay where they are.  These untenable situations can result in the same potential risk of substance abuse, mental illness, or even suicide.

Fear of succeeding and the changes success brings.  Promotions can be a very positive experience.  However, some people may fear increased responsibility, change of duties, and loss of social integration.  Any of these can sometimes affect a person’s willingness to advance in an organization. 

Fear of confrontation.  For example, people who have been bullied or not trained on how to deal with conflict and other similar situations are dramatically affected when faced with irate or upsetting situations.

Childcare fears.  Finding and keeping good daycare is difficult for parents and single parents.  The stress and anxiety are heightened for people who work evenings and weekends.  This fear exists on top of the guilt that comes from having to work when children are sick or experiencing issues.   

Fear of retaliation.  Doing the right thing can be difficult.  For example, reporting internal theft can draw attention to the accuser and may lead to threats and social isolation from other co-workers.

Fear of being lied to.  Nobody likes to be lied to, new people in an organization want to trust, employers and supervisors want to trust.  It may take a long time to establish trust while it only takes one occurrence to shatter that trust.    

Fear of not knowing the hidden rules, fear of workplace culture.  This is very common for new people in an organization.  Every organization has hidden rules, some sanctioned by employers and some known only to the people working in the organization.  This fear can be multiplied for people joining an organization from other regions or other cultures.

Multiple fears.  Seldom will a person only experience one of these fears.  Organizations may be staffed with people experiencing more than one of these fears. 

What is missing from this list?  Please feel free to share in the comment section.

How do you find out what fears your people have? 

Do you want to know what fears people have?

The answer should always be “YES.”

These fears are real and they are affecting virtually every organization.  By deciding to be proactive, your team can start to “choose the hour” to begin to address fear.  The path is not straightforward though.

You can’t ask people for their fears because unless they are willing to share they will not tell you.  Admitting fear makes someone vulnerable.  In my experience, being vulnerable is not something that many people are willing to discuss. 

To find out the fears in your organization there must be a culture of non-judgment, open communication, and earned trust.  If those three elements are in place, then by listening and watching it is possible to identify fears and the people who are suffering.   

Good organizations will not only acknowledge the fears of their people, but they also realize that trust is something that must be earned not just spoken about.  By interacting, listening, and encouraging they reduce and can even eliminate many of these fears for their people. 

In many cases, simple acknowledgment and awareness is the first step.  Having a conversation about possible solutions to their fears with choices.  And then creating and implementing an action process with the person to resolve the fear

Good luck,

Paul.