5 - Feeling Fear at Work
In this chapter, the author intends to examine fear in the workplace from the perspective an employee and the way that these threats, real or perceived, affect behavior and performance in the workplace as well as satisfaction and self-esteem outside of the workplace.
Fear is a topic that isn't spoken of. It is something we are taught to hide, and to be ashamed of our inability to simply ignore it. So it may be rare for adults to publicly admit feeling fear at work, but this does not mean they are not frightened - just that they have been conditioned not to speak of their fear.
In psychological terms, this practice is called "repression." And in psychiatric observations, it is repressed emotions that tend to do the greatest harm: they influence our decisions in ways we do not recognize (or purposefully ignore and cannot amend) and in some instances, they result in mental breakdowns or highly dramatic and unusual expressions.
The author then presents a fictitious character "Naomi" who describes her job in a way that conceals her fears and concerns. (EN: Being a contrived example, it's a bit hokey, but it does illustrate the way that people use word-play to represent limitations as opportunities, bragging about their ability to deal with obstacles that shouldn't exist in the first place, attempting to cover concerns and weaknesses, etc.)
Recognizing fear and mistrust in organizations
Again, people won't talk about their fears, and will often attempt to avoid talking about the emotional causes of problems. That is, they will tell you that they spend a lot of time in meetings (not that people are afraid to take action without getting the approval of others) or that they do not have the authority to make a decision (not that they are afraid to make a decision) or that people tend to prefer the tried-and-true way of doing things (not that they are afraid to do something new and different).
Recognizing the fear that exists in organizations requires listening carefully to determine what people are not talking about (because they're afraid even to talk about their fear). It can also be helpful to observe behavior - chances are if people spend a lot of time on activities that accomplish nothing (meetings that do not result in decisions, for example), then there is an emotional problem. They are avoiding the problem, or seeking to avoid or share out the blame, by not taking decisive action.
Until the cause is admitted, treatments can only address the symptoms, and the real problem (fear) is not addressed - so the solution is not effective.
The author lists some of the behaviors that may be indicative of fear: absenteeism, working sick, not contributing in meetings, following orders to the letter, obsessing about rules and procedures, concern about being blamed, camping, stealing ideas and sabotaging work, short-term thinking, resistance to new ideas, an "us and them" division between departments or groups, topics that people are reluctant to mention, considering appearances above results, etc. Once fear has been detected, it may take some further investigation to determine exactly what or whom people are afraid of, and then ultimately why they feel this fear.
Attrition is specifically mentioned: the most certain sign that something is wrong with a workplace is that good people are leaving. The less competent employees can be counted on to stay - they know that they are not very good and as a result are not attractive to other employers. But the intelligent and capable ones are attractive to others - and many are frustrated at not being able to do good work in a company whose culture is poisoned by fear. The result is that a company that is struggling alienates the very people who are most capable of saving it.
Disengagement is also mentioned. A person who is disengaged is afraid to take risks, to speak out, or to offer suggestions or thoughts for fear of being criticized or punished. The employee who dutifully listens, agrees with everything that is said, and never mentions any problems is in fact disengaged, though management may see such people as loyal and supportive, they are really turned off and have given up hope. In some instances, this is passive resistance, which is a psychological defense of a person in a hopeless situation. In others, the employee may wish to speak up and express an honest opinion, but is fearful of repercussions.
There's a brief mention about the validity of fear - it isn't logical, or even factual, but subjective. An employer who wishes employees to feel safe may attempt to point out to them the various reasons they should feel safe at work, but this is ineffective. Fear is subjective, and has little to do with facts. Insisting the workplace is safe merely fans suspicions that it is not, and that the employer is trying to cover up a problem rather than deal with it. And in many cases, that's exactly what's going on.
Fear causes employees to reduce their contribution: they do their work in a mechanical fashion, following procedures and obeying rules, and taking the strictest possible interpretation, all as a way of avoiding being blamed. This is particularly true when they (or someone they know of) has been punished for violating procedures, or when suggestions for improvement have been curtly ignored.
Meetings are often used as a way for a person to avoid taking personal risk: rather than taking an action they are capable of doing on their own, they round up a group of people to have a discussion about it. Very often, these meetings become protracted - people spend more time talking than doing, as a means of making themselves feel safe before undertaking an action. They are also great time-wasters: an employee who spends all day sitting in meetings doesn't do anything, and has an excuse for not getting anything done. Finally, meetings are very good at killing new ideas - one fearful person can poison the enthusiasm of others - so new ideas are not implemented and existing processes are defended.
A lack of communication is both a cause and symptom of a fear culture. Fear is based on anxiety about the unknown, and lack of communication ensures that many things remain unknown. Once a culture of fear has taken root, people act in a clandestine manner because they fear that if they communicate their intentions, others will attempt to stop or sabotage their efforts. There is also the notion that people will be held to what they communicate, so they are reluctant to share details or be specific until they have a high level of certainty in their plans.
Purchasing/procurement is often a canary in the coalmine: where there are difficult and lengthy procedures to obtain anything, even simple things such as software or office supplies, it is a strong indication of an organization in which control and fear have taken root. Also, fear is about perception - the procedure to order something might be simple, but if employees have the sense that their requests will not be approved, and even requesting something will call negative attention to themselves, they will not do so. When employees bring their own supplies to work or choose to work from their home computer, it's a strong sign of a dysfunctional culture.
Bullying at work
Any situation in which fear exists, and particularly when it is fostered and supported by authority figures, there is an opportunity for bullying and harassment. Consider the widespread practice of bullying in public schools and prisons, and other environments in which people are rigidly controlled. Those who wish to feel empowered but are constrained by the system will invariably seek to inflict themselves of their peers.
She presents statistics that indicate that it is a widespread problem: a survey indicated that 49% of American workers reported having been affected by workplace bullying. (EN: Take this with a grain of salt, as the survey was conducted by the "Workplace Bullying Institute," a very small research firm that profits by aggrandizing the problem.)
Bullying generally falls into routine patterns. There are certain employees who routinely bully others, and certain others who are routinely victimized by the bullies. Whether the bully is supported by the institution or simply is less concerned about the consequences, such an individual sees the opportunity to use fear to manipulate others, and this to feel more empowered about himself.
Victims of bullying, meanwhile, are often more sensitive to fear. Whether or not there is a reason, they feel particularly vulnerable or exposed, and feel that resisting a bully will have worse consequences than capitulating to them. In time, the victim will either lash out at his assailant or seek to escape the environment in spite of any negative consequences to himself (to quit a job without a prospect of another), and in the meantime his existence is miserable.
The author lists some of the more common forms of workplace bullying: spreading malicious rumors to damage someone's esteem, insulting or badmouthing them to others, overloading a worker or assigning them tasks outside their expertise, constantly criticizing other for inconsequential things, ridiculing or demeaning them, excluding them from conversations and decisions, subjecting them to unnecessary deadlines or requirements, intentionally blocking promotion or training opportunities, and the like.
It's also noted that bullying is not always done for a purpose. In some instances, a bully is seeking to undermine a rival to make their own position more secure, or to make their own work easier by placing burdens on others. But in many instances there is no functional reason, other than to feed the psychological need to feel some sense of control in a situation in which they feel disempowered.
Another unfortunate phenomenon is that employees who bully others are often considered to be "leadership material" in companies that foster an atmosphere of fear. Because they undermine and discredit others, they are seen as being better and more competent as employees, and because they manipulate others, they are seen as having "people skills" to motivate and influence. Their superiors either do not see their methods, or worse - they condone them.
Workplace bullies harm productivity. Their interference is often a functional obstruction to getting tasks done. They also lower morale considerably. And when they are praised and promoted by management, other workers get the sense that hard work isn't the way to get ahead.
When fear stimulates, energizes and motivates us
The author gives some time to the counterargument: that fear has the potential to be challenging, exhilarating, and affirming. But to be precise, the fear itself does not convey these positive effects - they are experienced when a person overcomes fear or succeeds in spite of it. It is also inevitable, as growth occurs only when we face challenges that we are not completely certain in our ability to overcome, which are also the instances in which we feel fear.
There is some level of fear inherent in any challenge. Consider the common fear of public speaking: it is fear of embarrassment in front of a group that makes people prepare for a speech, so fear drives their performance. And the feeling of success after the speech has been delivered often results from having done the task in spite of fear.
The difference here is that the fear a person feels when facing a challenge is internal and intrinsic. By internal, it is meant that no-one makes them afraid, they feel fear on their own (and in fact, others may be supportive of them in dealing with their fear). By intrinsic, it is meant that there is fear of the task itself, not of any additional punishments that would be heaped upon them as a result of failure.
External and extrinsic fears are universally counterproductive. To cause someone to be anxious about something where they are confident undermines their performance. And to add punishment on top of failure is to give them all the more reason to fear, distracting them from the task.
It's also noted that, while fear can make us more focused on performance, this only works to a degree. A person who is not anxious enough may be inattentive; a person who feels a little anxiety is more focused; but a person who feels too much anxiety is scared witless, and prone to make more mistakes. Those who claim to use fear to help people "sharpen up" seldom assess the level of fear the person is already feeling, and may continue to lay on until they have exceeded the threshold.
Differences in how people respond to fear in the workplace
The fight/flight/freeze reaction to fear is a broad generalization, as the reaction to fear is highly individualized. People will make different choices and express their emotions to different degrees according to personality, culture, and other factors. What is acceptable to one culture may not be acceptable to another.