Fear is a Horrible Motivator.

Fear, what fear?

Motivating by the carrot or the stick is a common question. It’s obvious I’m arguing against using the stick, but I’m not going to elaborate on how to develop incentive structures or anything technical of the sort.

Instead, let’s look at the times when unconscious choice leads to (usually) unintentional fear and anxiety. Take note throughout this discussion that, while this directly relates to leadership and management within an organization, it spans much more broadly than that.

Let’s look at layoffs as one very pointed example about fear in an organization. Here’s what happens:

Some event – subpar financial performance or other trigger – causes the board of directors to be afraid of shareholder support eroding, which would to a drop in share price. The board passes along the same fear to executive management, and directs them to cut costs.

Executive management looks at the biggest cost – employees and their salaries, perks, and other employment costs – and decides that reducing these costs are the best way to avoid a terrible fate. They direct middle management to make a layoff plan.

Down and down this goes, with some executives, middle managers, and front line managers and supervisors eliminated, until it gets to those with “boots on the ground”. They either hear rumors, or see stacks of boxes in the hallway. (This really happened at HP, by the way – while a contractor there, I walked in one day, which happened to be the day the company did their first layoffs in their entire history, and there were stacks of boxes ready to be folded and filled with employees’ personal items. Talk about a depressing sight…)

The event of layoffs may be short-term – some period of planning, and a quick action to sever those employees. The long-term effect, though, is vast.

First, those who are laid off are traumatized. This has financial and emotional effects that can bleed over to many people connected to them. Their family and friends, local shops relying on their patronage, the dog…

The survivors, though, may be just as significantly impacted. Survivors, including people at all levels of the organization.   Now, they wonder:

·        When are the next layoffs?

·        Will I be one of them?

·        How many of my friends will lose their job next time?

·        What will my “best work friend” do without a job?

They’re also thinking:

·        Management doesn’t care.

·        All everyone else worries about is the stock price.

·        If they don’t care, why should I?

·        Does the work I do day-to-day even matter that much?

·        Whose work do I have to add to my own workload?

·        Are there going to be pay cuts?

In some cases, this starts the slow death of a company. In nearly every case, it leads to disengagement, apathy, passive-aggressive behavior, and a “me first” attitude.

Layoffs are just one example of this. There can be ongoing management through fear in a number of ways:

·        Placing unreasonable deadlines

·        Unstable organizational structure

·        Requiring unreasonably long hours

·        Fostering a culture of unhealthy peer competitiveness

·        Implied threats

·        Simply the tone in which directives are given

The source of the fear generally starts with one or a handful of people. The board, a specific executive or “leader”, someone with some influence who wants a specific outcome or wants to avoid a specific fate, and is willing to do or say whatever it takes to get their desired end result.

The fear is maintained or magnified by something that each of us has inside of us: Beliefs and habits that largely steer all of our decisions. Because of our past – genetics, epigenetics, upbringing, circumstances throughout our lives – we have a network of beliefs about ourselves. These beliefs helped us create habits. It is those beliefs and habits that ultimately control what we do.

·        We may work 80 hours per week believing the extra effort will keep us from realizing our fear of failure.

·        We may avoid or procrastinate on completing tasks or projects because we would rather avoid the criticism we know will come from whomever sees our work.

·        We may do whatever our manager asks in order to avoid disappointing them.

Beliefs and habits fall into positive or negative categories, and the negative ones generally have fear at the root.

Bravery

How do you stop this terrible force?

Bravery. 

It takes a lot of guts to fight fear in your organization (and your life). But this isn’t a direct mano a mano battle. Rather, it involves a lot of defensive moves and preventative measures.

Be an insulator between the person or people “pulling the trigger” and the people reporting to you. This is very difficult, and can take a lot out of you, but the main idea is for the fear to stop at you. You don’t have to lie to your direct reports or act like nothing is amiss. Instead, put on a brave face and power through the situation that created the fear. 

Manage through boundaries, not directives. Place far more emphasis on the outcome of the work than the details of how the work gets done. Boundaries will be different, depending on the employee or group: Lots of latitude for skilled, experienced, or creative roles; narrower boundaries with unskilled, inexperienced, or process-oriented roles (those requiring precise outcomes).

Set a tone of openness, positivity, and encouragement.  If this sounds “soft” or “fru-fru”, think again. The Gallup organization recognizes the role of supportiveness and openness in employee engagement. Tony Robbins’ live events are like a rock concert for a reason. Look at your own performance: You’ve probably been much more effective in your role when relaxed and in a positive mood.

Prepare for the worst, and then move forward. When was the last time you thought about your auto insurance? Unless you’ve had an accident or auto loss recently, you probably bought it and review it once in a while to find savings. Do the same with work and personal fears. Insure for the worst, and then you’re free to work toward positive outcomes.

Fix the beliefs and habits. A seemingly-infinite number of books, articles, coaches, professionals, and other resources are out there that can help with this, but here are a couple of simple ideas:

·        Notice when you feel your energy is drained. What happened immediately before? You probably felt some anxiety because some situation either challenged or played on your beliefs. Write it down to think about later.

·        When making decisions or thinking something through, challenge yourself occasionally. Examine your thought process. Why did you make certain decisions? Use this information to focus in on some of those beliefs.

Be brave. For yourself, your co-workers, your employees, and yes, your dog.