Instilling fear is never a solution that works for long

Fear can be a potent motivator and is used by a surprising number of companies to motivate workers to accomplish deadlines, hit goals or reach targets in the shortest timeframe possible. Because of this new sense of urgency to get things done, the manager turns up the heat and makes it everyone else’s problem.

The good news is that it works quite well. The bad news is it does far more harm than good for any long-term success, and now the human resources (HR) department is left to pick up the pieces.

Employees who are driven by fear typically make rash or foolish decisions that are not in the best interests of the business. To fulfill deadlines or goals, they could, for instance, omit safety precautions, take shortcuts, falsify reports, skip procedure and create a hostile work environment for those around them.

As a result, the number of accidents and injuries increases, while productivity, health, safety, quality and progress all decrease.

Additionally, fear can foster a climate of mistrust and animosity among team members or groups, which can exacerbate conflict and miscommunication.

Communication goes down and issues might worsen when staff members are reluctant to speak up or express their concerns. A toxic workplace can result from this, with dissatisfied, stressed-out and unproductive workers leading to higher mental fatigue, burnout syndrome, high absenteeism and increased presenteeism.

To rectify this, HR managers will need to put more effort into developing trust, building relationships, encouraging communication and coming up with solutions that build STAMPS (Schedules, Tools, Approaches, Methods, Procedures, Systems) to deal with the root problems rather than instilling fear.

Developing a culture of openness and honesty is another effective way to increase trust. This entails being open and honest with workers regarding the company's aims, objectives and difficulties. Employee engagement and investment in the success of the business will increase because of information exchange and participation in decision-making processes. This may result in greater productivity, higher calibre work and a happier workplace.

Giving employees regular encouragement and feedback is another strategy to promote communication. Setting clear goals, creating opportunities for training and development, and delivering helpful positive evaluations of performance are all part of this. Employee motivation and productivity are more likely to be high when they feel appreciated and supported.

Instead of using fear, leaders and managers ought to concentrate on promoting dialogue, developing a culture of trust, and coming up with answers that deal with the root problems.

Professionals can establish a productive workplace that is advantageous to all parties involved by encouraging cooperation and collaboration, teaching team members how to delegate responsibly, sorting the important from the urgent and having regular follow-ups with staff.

People can’t survive or thrive on constant fear. At some point, the well runs dry and you’ve sacrificed long-term success for short-term gain. Increased absenteeism follows, then high staff turnover and now the company needs to advertise, interview, hire and train new staff to compensate for the loss - which all costs time and money.

Build a better business with a commitment to communicate and you’ll reap the rewards several times over.