SmallBizResource Blog -- Productivity

The Fear Factor At Work

Posted by Judy Mottl Thursday, Oct 25, 2007, 09:23 AM ET

Guess who everyone's afraid of in the workplace. If you guessed you--the boss--you're on the mark.

A new study from Adecco, a workforce solutions provider, says 34% of company employees are most afraid of their boss. That's not necessarily the top guy at the company either.

About 28% are most afraid of the president/CEO, 9% are scared of HR, and 5% are most frightened by the front desk receptionist.

Other interesting findings include:
•60% of adults who are scared by a part of their job are afraid of making a mistake
•46% of those whose job requires them to communicate with others and are scared of something at work are afraid of saying the wrong thing at work

Any fear factor at work is irrational and business owners should do something about it, say experts.

“The office should not be a place where fear is a factor, even on Halloween,” says Bernadette Kenny, chief career officer of Adecco USA. “Employers should do their best to create a safe and fun environment for their employees all year round.”

To help their employees deal with fear bosses need to show them how to manage through it:

•Assess the situation: Have the employee ask themselves, “Why am I scared of this person?” and determine if it’s a valid reason. If it is, you may want to address it with them directly to try and alleviate the fear factor.

For example, if the employee is afraid of someone because of the way they speak to them (e.g., a rough tone) the employee needs to let that person know they would appreciate it if they could ease their tone when speaking to them.

Sometimes just changing the interaction with the "feared' person can change the dynamic of the work relationship and eliminate the fear factor.

For example, someone who has a natural “fear” of talking to the CEO can mitigate their fear on their own if they build their confidence. One way, is to envision themselves having a conversation with the CEO and play it out in their mind.

If your company has an HR person use that resource, says Adecco. But ovbiously don't reach out to them if they are the 'fear' factor for an employee.

Productivity