10 reasons why nothing positive can grow in a culture of fear

Have you ever worked anywhere where the fear of ‘being pulled in’ or losing your job runs rampant? Have you ever tried to voice your opinion but it has been shut down and given no consideration? Running an organization in a culture of fear, where employees are not free to speak up, make mistakes, learn from their experiences or have the freedom to fail, will never encourage people to grow, take risks or improve. All it does is create a feeling of anxiety around work. Open and honest communication disappears and all trust is lost.

Here are 10 reasons why nothing positive can grow in a culture of fear:

1. Too scared to speak up/ go against the grain/ voice an opinion

This results in employees not speaking their truth, letting things go which should be flagged up or not bringing great ideas to the table because they feel their opinion is not valued and they are afraid to raise their head above the water. Employees then spend their time trying to go unnoticed to avoid getting in trouble, which includes asking for support, making positive changes and trying new things.

2. Feedback is shut down/ dismissed

When raising concerns about other team members or leaders, this is immediately dismissed, no action is taken and changes fail to take place. This behaviour is enabling the status quo to continue and projects the message that their voice is unimportant. This makes employees feel undervalued and frustrated. If this happens, it is very unlikely the culture will change because the leaders lack awareness of other people’s perceptions.

3. Scared to lose job or be reprimanded if any mistake is made

When people are afraid to take risks, they remain in their comfort zone, doing the same as before and they do not grow or improve in their practice. When job security is at risk, their security is threatened and they will never be able to thrive. Leadership then must accept that productivity, work ethos and profit will be static until this culture changes. Risk-taking is part of growth and should be celebrated. Failure is part of growth and should be celebrated, as this is simply feedback of things which do not work. Being denied this opportunity to grow is detrimental to the company.

4. Do things which go against values to please leaders/ adhere to their vision

When processes and procedures take place in the workplace which go against our values or ethics, it is very difficult to then see the leadership in a position of respect. When we believe that something is unethical, immoral or unjust, and it is widely accepted in the workplace, it changes the way employees view the leaders and can make employees question if it is the right place for them.

5. There is no buy-in into their vision

When employees are scared of the leadership team, and the leadership style is autocratic or authoritarian, they do not feel empowered to contribute towards the company mission and vision. They are told what to do and believe, rather than having a say in creating it and deciding it. Without buy-in of the vision, it is very difficult to get the entire establishment onside and this can cause divides and fractures within the workplace.

6. Passive aggressive or aggressive communication

Being short in emails, spoken conversations or in meetings, does not create an atmosphere where people feel communication is clear, timely, fair and the tone is appropriate. With only 7% of communication being the actual words used, the other 93% is through tone, body language, eye contact and facial expressions. We need to all be aware of how others can perceive what we say and interpret the tone we use.

7. Poor reputation in community

Someone recently described culture as ‘what people say about work when they are not there’ and the more negative experiences employees have, the more they will talk. This reputation filters out through communities and this may stop prospective employees applying to work in the company or stop others from using their services. Reputation is hugely important for company profit and if employees are anxious about work or not enjoying what they are doing, this will undoubtably affect how the company is perceived.

8. Lost the dressing room / trust

Like in football, once the manager (leadership team) lose the dressing room, it is very difficult to gain back the trust and instill a work ethic that the team are invested in. Employees put in less effort, care less about the consequences of poor work, are more stressed (therefore more susceptible to sickness) and with the numbers of employees almost always outnumbering the number of leaders, it can be difficult to bring it back together again because the trust is gone.

9. Management v leadership

Leadership is all about empowering others. It is about motivating and inspiring others to become the best versions of themselves and instill in them a culture of self-development and growth. Management does not have that same focus. Managers are focused on strategy and to get the company to the place it needs to be, regardless of the relationships and goals of the team members. When a workplace is managed and not led, it can create a culture of unbelonging and when we do not feel part of the bigger picture and do not feel like we have a role to play, it can make us question what we are doing there.

10. Lack of support when asked for

If an employee asks for time off for leave, sickness, or appointments, or requests some help dealing with a situation, leaders must trust they have had the courage to ask and therefore it is important to them. To dismiss, or not deal with situations, make them feel as if it is their fault, or refuse them leave for important events, they are essentially creating resentment towards the company. Asking for help takes humility and strength and to have it quashed with no action taken, or to be told that their health, family or happiness is not important, will never create a culture where people want to work for them.

Fear never harvests results

I personally know people who have been refused sick leave because work was too busy, refused leave to go to a family member’s funeral, refused a few hours reflection time as the funeral was taking place for a friend who had committed suicide. I have seen people being gaslit, manipulated, unsupported in times of need, threatened with job loss for returning home for a parent’s funeral, refused leave to go to wedding in which they were part of the wedding party and being left unsupported to deal with difficult situations.

Employees want to feel like leaders have their backs. They want to feel safe and secure coming to work and want to know their contribution is valued. By creating a culture of fear, all of this disappears and employees will never work to optimum potential and will never be as productive, motivated or enthusiastic as possible. Fear will never get anyone to a positive place and the only way to create growth is to create a culture of openness, trust and integrity.