Adam WeisnerFear is a terrible master.
Three signs fear is running your workplace, and what to build instead.
There are three signs that fear is running your workplace. Companies like this are all too common. Fear really creates exhausting companies. It's companies that make you not want to work.
If you're running a company like this and it's ringing true for you, this is for you. If you work at one, keep reading too.
The three signsClear goals, real accountability, and a leader who isn't in everyone's business.
Nobody can make a mistake.
The first sign is that employees are scared to make mistakes. Like, no one can make a mistake.
"If you make a mistake, you bury it, you hide it, because if you make a mistake, you're going to get ripped apart."
When did someone last tell you about a mistake before you found it?
The leader controls everything.
The second sign is that leaders feel like they need to control everything. So instead of giving you autonomy and delegating, they are constantly micromanaging.
In my book, I wrote about what a clear system does here: "The beauty is that it protects leaders from micromanaging and getting stuck in the weeds. Once the system is in place, you let the engine run."
"They're in your business at every turn, and that means that you really can't operate freely at all."
How many times this week did you step into work you'd already handed off?
Everyone is stressed. Nobody says it.
The third sign is that everybody feels stressed out, but nobody is safe enough to say it. They're feeling the burden of all of the micromanagement, the burden of all of the fear that they have about making mistakes.
"Fear really creates exhausting companies."
If someone on your team were worn out, would they feel safe telling you?
What it looks like instead.
I'm the CEO of an investment research firm, and we drive forward and we perform well. But people have autonomy. They're not micromanaged.
Accountability isn't something to be feared, but a practice to embrace because it drives you to your goals. At the beginning of the cycle, everyone is clear on expectations, and during weekly updates, everyone is clear on progress. I had Unbreakable OS built for myself first, to run goals, monthly cycles and weekly updates in one place.
It starts with the leader.
Fear pops up when you don't trust the Lord with the outcomes of your business. That's why you white-knuckle the business. That's why you struggle to step away. It's why everyone has to rely on you.
"Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?"
Mark 4:40"for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control."
2 Timothy 1:7"If God is for us, who can be against us?"
Romans 8:31What are you worried about?
There are places out there.
If you're at a company like this and it's ringing true, it's time to look for something new, man. This isn't it. You were made to work and work in a place that you can enjoy what you're doing.
There are many places out there that will reward the kind of employee that you are. So don't let the world or the internet tell you that there isn't.
Check your own company.
- Ask who last told you about a mistake before you found it.
- Count how often you stepped into work you'd handed off.
- When someone asks what to do, ask what they want to do.
- Write the goals down and check progress every week.
Build a company people want to work in.
I coach a small number of Christian business owners and CEOs who want a company that performs without running on fear: work with Adam.
The full framework is in my book, Biblical Business.
More: Say the hard thing. Kindly. · A business that runs without you · Christian business coach · North Idaho & Spokane
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
FAQ
What are the signs of a fear-based workplace?
Three show up first: people are scared to make mistakes, so they bury them; leaders feel they need to control everything, so they micromanage; and everyone is stressed, but nobody feels safe enough to say it.
How do you fix a culture of fear at work?
Set clear goals and real accountability, then stay out of everyone's business. Let people try things, expect mistakes, and when someone asks what they should do, ask them what they want to do.
Is accountability the same as fear?
No. Accountability with clear expectations and weekly updates drives a team to its goals. Fear makes people hide problems. A good system protects leaders from micromanaging.
What does the Bible say about fear at work?
2 Timothy 1:7 says, "for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control." Adam teaches that fear in leaders usually starts with not trusting the Lord with the outcomes of the business.