Our news headlines have been overrun with reports of Dominic’s comings and goings, the teachers union’s anxiety at the government’s plans to widen school openings, the continued unrest in America following the Minneapolis demonstration over the death of George Floyd, and protesters in Hong Kong defying social distancing orders to confront riot police in reaction to China’s proposed change of policies. Whatever the news, be it Boris announcing further easing of coronavirus lockdown measures or features from further afield, the headlines have all had one thing in common: fear.
Those concerned with the whereabouts of Cummings, fear they misinterpreted the guidelines or have somehow been hoodwinked into stricter social distancing than was necessary. Teachers fear for their safety and that of their pupils, and those rioting fear that their voices won’t be heard and justice won’t be done. With the alarm of the pandemic already foremost in most peoples’ minds, any additional stress and anxiety may appear magnified. The same will be true in the workplace too.
Fear in the workplace can have a major impact on productivity. Employees can feel overwhelmed by uncertainty, which can result in physical symptoms: increased heart rate and blood pressure being two common side effects. The extreme result of this is feeling paralysed by fear and left incapable of proper decision-making, the less extreme symptom and one many of us can admit to is irrational behaviour.
In the UK, it is recognised by the NHS that 30-60% of absences from work are stress related.
The Health and Safety Executive estimates that, in 2017-18, 15.4 million working days were lost due to work-related stress, depression, or anxiety. This accounted for 44% of work-related sick days.
More usually, work-related stress is caused by relationship issues, workload, lacking support, and organisational change. Add to this the, now common, concerns over job security and personal health and there is a real danger of this heightened sensitivity causing potential flash points. As leaders, any expression of anger, frustration, or impatience – however minor – may cause significant conflict.
Being aware of the potential for disaster is half the battle won. However, there are some simple techniques to overcome fears at work that have proven to be very effective.
· Inviting your team to voice their concerns and name the feelings behind their fear, helps them to acknowledge their emotional state
· Expressing their feelings out loud to others takes a great deal of the heat and power out of their fear
· By sharing, the situation is normalised. A problem shared is, after all, a problem halved
· By seeking support – if you don’t already have measures in place to help manage the stresses and strains this unique set of circumstances has delivered us, arrange for your team to have access to someone who can help them to better make sense of their feelings
People perform best when they feel at their best. Leaders’ negative emotions are not only potentially damaging but can drain your team of their capacity to cope. The media is already full of negativity, mitigating this in the workplace, as much as you can, will lead to a happier, healthier environment for everyone. Here are three Cs to help you to achieve a better balance:
Calm – recognise your own triggers. Have a strategy in place to help you to regulate your own emotions, so you can be calm and controlled when pressures build
Connect – build further on the trust with your team; connect first, then lead. By leading with warmth and empathy, you are far more likely to engage with your team and to recognise when the strains are beginning to show
Communicate – the early lockdown communications were easy to understand. They were simple and effective; everyone knew where they stood. As lockdown measures have been eased and the messages have become more complicated and less clear, so fear moves into the gaps. Leave no gaps and you’ll have no fear. By filling the vacuum of uncertainty with clear, concise information your team will have no need to speculate. Whilst you may feel it is better to say nothing, rather than have to say something different at a later date, neuroscience research shows that even negative news, is better than no news at all
Fear exists more so today than perhaps ever before in peacetime. It cannot be ignored, especially in the workplace. By acknowledging this and facing the facts, you are on your way to creating a healthier and happier workplace for you and your team.
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