Overcoming Workplace Fears - You can do it better!
“While most of us crave excitement and change at work to keep us motivated and interested, there is a part of us that also resists and fears change,” said Harvey Deutschendorf, a leader in research on Emotional Intelligence. Harvey highlights that fear speaks one language, with its meaning transmitted in unison across cultures and countries.
While we may experience a multitude of fears, those most often related to the workplace are about being rejected, disowned and isolated, and I have no doubt that many individuals could relate to that, either through personal experience or knowing people who have been though it. The impact of fear on one’s workplace wellbeing is shaped by our attitudes towards both understanding the fear and the fear management.
"What should also be noted, is that not all of fear is bad for us. Fear often warns us of potential dangers that when faced and ultimately overcome allow us to grow and develop as individuals and as contributing members of society."
The message that I would like to pass along to everyone reading this article is that you do not have to face the fear alone. There are people at IQVIA globally to whom you can reach out to discuss your needs and to seek guidance on how to approach challenges. Learning to understand the fear and using the techniques highlighted below could help you improve your reactions when fear arises.
Harvey Deutschendorf, in my opinion, gives some off the best advice in this area:
NAMING THE FEELINGS BEHIND THE FEAR
Acknowledging our feelings and sounding them out to others takes a great deal of the sting and power out of fear. The worst thing to do when we feel fear is to keep it bottled up inside and not tell anyone. Here’s an example: Jessica is a business analyst whose job includes giving talks and presentations on her expertise. What she finds helpful is verbally telling herself how she feels about an upcoming talk and then telling her colleagues and boss. To Jessica, expressing her feelings is a way of releasing them and spreading them out, leaving less fear to manage when she needs to be seen as strong and confident.
NORMALIZE THE EXPERIENCE
Everyone is afraid of something at work: your colleagues, your boss, and even the top CEO of a major corporation. Being aware of this helps to reduce the intensity of the fear. Erica was feeling totally overwhelmed after being asked to give an overview of the annual report to top management of the company. She decided to tell her manager who had been with the company for many years. To her surprise he told her a story of how terrified he had been the first time he had to speak to his superiors, stuttering and stammering the whole time. The fact he had survived and thrived despite his nervousness gave her a boost of courage and confidence. When the time came, she discovered she wasn’t nearly as frightened as she thought she would be.
SEEK OUT SUPPORT
If experiencing some fears at work, it is very likely you aren’t the only one. Coworkers will appreciate that you’re reaching out and would be happy to offer support and encouragement. Colleagues can be a good source for advice if they have been in your situation before. It was Braden’s turn to attend a networking event where he met others in the same industry he worked in. After the event, he was expected to write up a report on what he had learned.
Having ADD, which he had hidden from his employer, he was afraid he would forget most of what he discovered. A coworker shared that he had the same problem and had found a way around it. After having a conversation with someone, he would find a quiet spot and record some of the key points on his iPad before moving on to network with the next person. To his relief it worked so well he was able to relax and actually enjoy the event.
LOOK BACK ON PREVIOUS EXPERIENCES
Most incidents that we fear turn out to be less grandiose after the event: The anticipation is where the angst holds us ransom. Thinking of situations in the past that frightened us but that now appear innocuous in hindsight will help us lighten the burden of worry and anxiety prior to a stressful event.
Cory, a software developer, would think about the time he did a parachute jump prior to facing any changes in the workplace that were causing him anxiety. He would think about his jump day and imagine that his life had been in danger that day. In comparison he found what he had to lose if things didn’t go well in the workplace were minor in comparison to the day he jumped out of an airplane. It helped him put things in perspective and alleviated a lot of anxiety.
THE WORST-CASE SCENARIO ISN’T ALL THAT BAD
Often when we are fearful at work, we are imagining the worst that can happen. Unless we work in highly dangerous fields where the loss of life or physical injury is a possibility, the worst that can happen is that we lose our job. Whenever Maria became stressed at the thought of a bad review from her manager, she thought of her two young daughters and husband who adored her. Becoming aware that these relationships were the most important aspect in her life helped her to relax and not “sweat the small stuff,” as she put it.
COMPARTMENTALIZE
In order to avoid fear taking up space in their ongoing day, some people are able to put aside time where they think about facing their fears. By putting aside fears, they are able to carry on with their activities that require full thought and concentration. When a meeting with a difficult client was coming up, investment counsellor Barry would decide that he would spend the last 30 minutes of the day thinking of how he would deal with the client if he was meeting him or her the next day. This allowed him to focus on important decisions and tasks that he had to complete before becoming distracted by the unpleasant problem he would be facing.
VIEW IT AS AN INEVITABLE PART OF GROWTH
Jack Canfield said: “Everything we want is on the other side of fear.” People who believe this see facing fears as a challenge that has growth potential for them. At best, they look at fear as a sign that something better awaits, and at worst that they will learn a valuable lesson that will serve them well in the future. Rachel often tried controversial, out-of-the-box techniques in her job as a high school teacher. Evaluation time for her fellow teachers was often a time of high stress. Rachel viewed it as an opportunity for her to receive valuable feedback that she would use to decide whether to continue or make adjustments. She looked at endorsements or repudiation from her bosses as part of her continued progress as a teacher and human being.
We can use many of Harvey’s recommendations, but we should also remember to open ourselves to all of the possibilities in front of us and learn to embrace the challenges that come our way.
I have personally found that various articles can assist self-growth and development, but beyond that, it is important to believe that you can overcome the challenges.
Thank you for reading this article and whatever workplace challenges you may be facing, remember that you are better and stronger than you think. I believe that with a positive attitude, you can overcome them!