Everyone is afraid (Marketing, Ops, IT, PSS, DSM, CBD, MAPS, HSS). No one is safe here and we all know it.
Everyone is afraid (Marketing, Ops, IT, PSS, DSM, CBD, MAPS, HSS). No one is safe here and we all know it.
Ten Signs of A Fear-Based Workplace
1. In a fear-based workplace, everyone is focused on their daily goals. They have to be because if they miss a goal, they could lose their job. You won’t get collaboration or innovation out of people who are scared to death!
2. In a fear-based culture, managers and HR people specialize in assigning work, measuring results, punishing infractions and maintaining order. In a healthy culture, managers and HR people specialize in listening to employees, problem-solving with them, celebrating successes and envisioning even greater successes!
3. In a fear-based environment, people are afraid to tell the truth because they already know no one wants to hear it. How do they know this? It’s obvious, because the biggest truth of all – namely, “Our culture is horrible, but bad things happen to people who say so” is never acknowledged. It is the elephant in the room.
4. In a fear-based company, people talk incessantly about who’s up and who’s down in the company stock index. The rumor mill is more credible than official communication. In a healthy company, managers and employees talk about sticky topics. They don’t avoid them just because they are awkward to address
5. In a fear-based company, employees wonder whether they’ll still have a job next week. A great performance review or an on-the-job triumph does not guarantee anyone another week of employment. People work under a cloud of fear and suspicion. Managers are afraid to recognize and reinforce their teams, because they might get in trouble for doing so.
6. In a fear-based workplace, following rules and avoiding blame are every team’s top priorities. Collaborating, experimenting and having fun do not make the list. If there is a company mission statement on the wall, no one cares about it: the only mission employees can focus on is “
7. In a fear-based environment, managers talk about collaboration and out-of-the-box thinking but no one takes them seriously. You cannot get collaboration or new ideas from beaten-down employees.
8. In a fear-based culture, employees disappear without warning. When someone disappears, people speak their names in whispers if they mention them at all.
9. In a fear-based workplace the smartest and most capable employees don’t get promoted. The people who get promoted are the ones who most wholeheartedly embrace the fear-based culture.
10. In a fear-based environment, the hardest thing to do is to stay human. When you keep your sense of humor, your warmth and your confidence despite the cloud of fear, you can expect to be labeled ‘unprofessional’ or worse.
If you work in a fear-based workplace, is there anything you can do about it apart from quitting your job?
Ten Signs of A Fear-Based Workplace
1. In a fear-based workplace, everyone is focused on their daily goals. They have to be because if they miss a goal, they could lose their job. You won’t get collaboration or innovation out of people who are scared to death!
2. In a fear-based culture, managers and HR people specialize in assigning work, measuring results, punishing infractions and maintaining order. In a healthy culture, managers and HR people specialize in listening to employees, problem-solving with them, celebrating successes and envisioning even greater successes!
3. In a fear-based environment, people are afraid to tell the truth because they already know no one wants to hear it. How do they know this? It’s obvious, because the biggest truth of all – namely, “Our culture is horrible, but bad things happen to people who say so” is never acknowledged. It is the elephant in the room.
4. In a fear-based company, people talk incessantly about who’s up and who’s down in the company stock index. The rumor mill is more credible than official communication. In a healthy company, managers and employees talk about sticky topics. They don’t avoid them just because they are awkward to address
5. In a fear-based company, employees wonder whether they’ll still have a job next week. A great performance review or an on-the-job triumph does not guarantee anyone another week of employment. People work under a cloud of fear and suspicion. Managers are afraid to recognize and reinforce their teams, because they might get in trouble for doing so.
6. In a fear-based workplace, following rules and avoiding blame are every team’s top priorities. Collaborating, experimenting and having fun do not make the list. If there is a company mission statement on the wall, no one cares about it: the only mission employees can focus on is “
7. In a fear-based environment, managers talk about collaboration and out-of-the-box thinking but no one takes them seriously. You cannot get collaboration or new ideas from beaten-down employees.
8. In a fear-based culture, employees disappear without warning. When someone disappears, people speak their names in whispers if they mention them at all.
9. In a fear-based workplace the smartest and most capable employees don’t get promoted. The people who get promoted are the ones who most wholeheartedly embrace the fear-based culture.
10. In a fear-based environment, the hardest thing to do is to stay human. When you keep your sense of humor, your warmth and your confidence despite the cloud of fear, you can expect to be labeled ‘unprofessional’ or worse.
If you work in a fear-based workplace, is there anything you can do about it apart from quitting your job?
