How can a manager recognize the existance of fear in an organiztion? and how can he/she eliminate this fear?

How can a manager recognize the existance of fear in an organiztion? and how can he/she eliminate this fear?

Interesting questions! And I can't wait to read what the Covers have to say! Although, I must admit, I'm curious to know what prompted these questions, TSoQ. :)

How to recognize fear....there are so many ways, although some are more obvious that others.


Lack of communication - poor or one-way (top down) communication means that people are not speaking their minds...find out why.
Absenteeism rates - I used to have a job that literally made me ill. I'd sit in my car in the driveway, open up the door, throw up and then drive into work. Not a good sign!
Incorrect data - are people deliberately providing wrong data? Padding the numbers?
Excuses - are the excuses what management wants to hear instead of what they should hear?
Job refusals - are people refusing to do jobs, citing safety concerns? Listen and take action!
Poor eye contact - do people not look you in the eyes when talking to you?
Reasons to avoid you - folks going deliberately out of their way to avoid having to interact with you?
Stutters and stammers - difficulty in communication
Bypassing - folks intentionally going ahead on projects without including you in the loop?


The list can, unfortunately, be endless.

What to do to eliminate fear?...the list, again, can be equally endless, but here's a few ideas...


Listen - Don't justify or defend your point of view...simply listen.
Employee survey - Get ideas. Find out if there is fear and what the emloyees would like to help obtain a better work environment.
Communicate - Inform people of goals, status, where you are and where you want to be and what role everyone will play.
Ask questions - No the "Why" kind of question...the "What's happening" kind of questions.
Sit-and-stay-awhile sessions - Visit the flow and just hang out with the employees.

Interesting questions! And I can't wait to read what the Covers have to say! Although, I must admit, I'm curious to know what prompted these questions, TSoQ. :)


thnks RC , that was a helpful answer , i confronted this question when i was studying Deming 's 14 points .

How can a manager recognize the existance of fear in an organiztion? and how can he/she eliminate this fear?

Somewhere I read that if you have a "Performance Rating System" it contributes to the fear factor. Can't remember if it was Deming or not.

Somewhere I read that if you have a "Performance Rating System" it contributes to the fear factor. Can't remember if it was Deming or not.

Actually, he did state it. Number 3 of the seven deadly diseases:

"Evaluation of performance, merit rating or annual review." (p.98 in my copy of "Out of the Crisis").

Actually, he did state it. Number 3 of the seven deadly diseases:

"Evaluation of performance, merit rating or annual review." (p.98 in my copy of "Out of the Crisis").

Many thanks Craig! I always need someone to checkup on my memory. Second thing to go they say! :lmao:

RC has a good list there. I especially thing that when employees go out of their way to be "busy" or otherwise unable to talk to the management when they come around, it should be a BIG sign. One word answers and the like. I've seen people in this mode, they walk around like the dog that's been kicked by a mean owner.

As a related question, why is it that someone you've worked with, or has worked with your counterparts, become so unreachable as they climb the ladder? I think this brings on some of that "fear". People who were once responsive to suggestions, open to listening empathically, willing to try, suddenly become "I'm the boss, that's why!" Part of this is often that people are given so much more responsibility, without being given the basic training in leadership principles. My kids often tell me that when they grow up they want to be "the boss", they don't care what of as long as they are the boss. I keep telling them that they are not aiming high enough, they should want to be "the leader", not the boss.

As a related question, why is it that someone you've worked with, or has worked with your counterparts, become so unreachable as they climb the ladder? I think this brings on some of that "fear". People who were once responsive to suggestions, open to listening empathically, willing to try, suddenly become "I'm the boss, that's why!" Part of this is often that people are given so much more responsibility, without being given the basic training in leadership principles. My kids often tell me that when they grow up they want to be "the boss", they don't care what of as long as they are the boss. I keep telling them that they are not aiming high enough, they should want to be "the leader", not the boss.

I remember taking a college course on Leadership and we had to do an interview project with a perceived Leader within our company (anyone but the Top Dog). I chose a Production Supervisor. Talking with him and shadowing him gave me some wonderful insight into his job as a Leader and him as a person.

Turns out that he worked his way up from an Operator on the floor to the Supervisor position. Unfortunately, his former coworkers thought that because he was suddenly their Supervisor, they could obtain favours from him. They showed up late for work, refused their jobs, took longer breaks, left before their shift change and so on. When he had to discipline them, they took it personally and snubbed him.

He didn't want to lose the open communication and comraderie he had had before, but unfortunately, his former colleagues did not, in his opinion, give him much choice.

Personally, I think he did what he needed to do, but the first "mistake" was made by Management for making him the Supervisor of his former crew. They should have put him on a crew that he did not work with.

Unfortunately, SteelMaiden, what you mentioned is probably more often the norm than my situation. We learn much by example when, as you pointed out, we should probably receive actual training in how to be a Leader.

Our own "bosses" were more than likely uncommunicative, stuck-in-their-ivory-tower kinda people. We pick up that this is how a boss is to be. And let's face it...human nature means that new bosses feel a sudden power trip. More authority, more power, more ability to control people...it's a rather heady rush and some people just don't know how to handle it properly.

Fear and how to handle it is a large component of change management.

One of the things a good change manager does is to look for the "taboos" within an organization. These are the topics that just NEVER get mentioned because of FEAR.

These topics may range from stuff like
the top boss's private secretary who can't type or spell, but has frequent closed-door meetings with the boss during the course of the day

to
wearing only white shirts and solid color neckties to avoid inflaming a conservative family member of the boss

to
never comparing salaries among employees.Obviously, there are other taboos and fears having to do with customers, bureaucrats, unions, competitors, tyrannical bosses, etc. Often, it takes an outsider to recognize these taboos, because they have become so ingrained into the "we've always done it this way" mentality that the employees no longer recognize the taboo, let alone the fear behind the taboo.

Someone with power and virtual immunity from retaliation has to empower the change agent to expose the taboos and bring them out in the open where they can be discussed and dealt with.

Without that power and authority, an individual exposes taboos at his peril. Sorry to say, life in a modern organization is NOT like the fairy tale of the "Emperor's New Clothes." If you speak out against the taboo or even merely identify it, you may be labeled "unfit for office" and dismissed.

I remember taking a college course on Leadership and we had to do an interview project with a perceived Leader within our company (anyone but the Top Dog). I chose a Production Supervisor. Talking with him and shadowing him gave me some wonderful insight into his job as a Leader and him as a person.

Turns out that he worked his way up from an Operator on the floor to the Supervisor position. Unfortunately, his former coworkers thought that because he was suddenly their Supervisor, they could obtain favours from him. They showed up late for work, refused their jobs, took longer breaks, left before their shift change and so on. When he had to discipline them, they took it personally and snubbed him.

He didn't want to lose the open communication and comraderie he had had before, but unfortunately, his former colleagues did not, in his opinion, give him much choice.

Personally, I think he did what he needed to do, but the first "mistake" was made by Management for making him the Supervisor of his former crew. They should have put him on a crew that he did not work with.

Unfortunately, SteelMaiden, what you mentioned is probably more often the norm than my situation. We learn much by example when, as you pointed out, we should probably receive actual training in how to be a Leader.

Our own "bosses" were more than likely uncommunicative, stuck-in-their-ivory-tower kinda people. We pick up that this is how a boss is to be. And let's face it...human nature means that new bosses feel a sudden power trip. More authority, more power, more ability to control people...it's a rather heady rush and some people just don't know how to handle it properly.

:agree: I agree with your post but also consider this. As a young man in the US Navy I was constantly studying, always had a book in one hand and a cup of coffee and cigarette in the other. From academic courses to Navy courses and I forced myself to achieve excellence both mentally and physically.

When Battle Stations was brayed I was assigned to the bridge, when Special Sea & Anchor was brayed I was on the bridge. If there was a problem on a piece of gear the Chief directed the repair party to me for help. At the time I just thought I was doing the best job I could.
Well 2 years ago we held a 40 year reunion in Lexington, Kentucky. We were all having a great time and one of my old shipmates came up to me and engaged in conversation.
Herby said to me Jim, I remember you as always studying and always knowing what to do. In fact, I always looked up to you, no-no I was in AW of you. Dammit Jim, I was in FEAR OF YOU! always hesitant to approach you. Felt uncomfortable around you.

Well of course I was floored. I had no idea the effect I had on some of these shipmates and it took me 40 years to find out. Had I been older maybe my nickname (Great White Father) would have given me a clue!

So be careful how you conduct yourself because you never know how the other guy see's you.

False Evidence Appearing Real FEAR an acronym?

RC has a good list there. I especially thing that when employees go out of their way to be "busy" or otherwise unable to talk to the management when they come around, it should be a BIG sign. One word answers and the like. I've seen people in this mode, they walk around like the dog that's been kicked by a mean owner.

As a related question, why is it that someone you've worked with, or has worked with your counterparts, become so unreachable as they climb the ladder? I think this brings on some of that "fear". People who were once responsive to suggestions, open to listening empathically, willing to try, suddenly become "I'm the boss, that's why!" Part of this is often that people are given so much more responsibility, without being given the basic training in leadership principles. My kids often tell me that when they grow up they want to be "the boss", they don't care what of as long as they are the boss. I keep telling them that they are not aiming high enough, they should want to be "the leader", not the boss.


Steel, I have seen this as well, and I thought about it more than I intended last weekend. As one who has moved up a little, I think I have the answer - fear.

As RC's post alludes, there is no way one can be "the same old guy" when moving up. The "old friends" are out to get what they can - favors, soft treatment, etc. Many even expect it. Giving these favors, and overlooking bad behavior, can be the eventual kiss of death for a manager.

So, fear, and mistrust, can work both ways. Just another way to say CYA, I guess.

Anyhow, you made me think, and that's kinda the point, isn't it?

Anyhow, you made me think, and that's kinda the point, isn't it?
Yep, and now that some of us have put in their thoughts, I'll share some of mine.

The biggest problems that I have experienced are:
Promotions within the same group or crew. Tough to go from one of the guys to the leader of the pack without some good background in leadership. My theory was always, be a leader no matter what your station in life. That way, if good things came to you on the job, people would already be looking to you for guidance/leadership. Sort of like a crew leader.

Newly graduated supervisors with no job experience. They might know all the technical stuff, but seldom have the leadership skills needed to become effective leaders right out of the gate. Most that I have seen come in with that "I'm the boss, that's why" attitude, and even if their people try to explain why things work, or don't work, that way in the real world, they don't have the confidence or self-security to admit they may not know it all. We've often called this the "book-smart vs. common sense" theory.

People who just didn't care about anything except to get to the top.

The easiest transitions I've seen are the ones where you are promoted outside your current work group, especially if you go completely outside your current division. You still know the corporate culture, but you don't have any of the garbage that goes along with someone on your crew knowing your long-past secrets all the way back to second grade:lmao:

... can't wait to read what the Covers have to say!

OK.. I'm stupid. Off topic.. but 'the Covers' ??????... Who's dat?

OK.. I'm stupid. Off topic.. but 'the Covers' ??????... Who's dat?

Sorry Town but the 'Covers' are YOU and ME and Everyone else that contributes on this forum. This forum is called the Cove.

oOoooo... as in COVErs... lol... I was thinking it meant COVERs, as in the moderators who cover the forums.. ;)