In Spite of Fear

Photo Credit, J.Izzo – Paro, Bhutan

Successful people do not have an absence of fear; they have just learned to push through the fear to achieve results. 

More times than not, we can get caught up in how we perceive others rather than the reality that occurs behind the curtain.  We are all trained, especially in the workplace, to know what behaviors are viewed as acceptable.  The discussion of fear rarely, if ever, comes up because it has the misconception of being a weakness.  Hence, it has become an unspoken and unacknowledged element that drains productivity and fulfillment.  In other words, we have been conditioned to keep feelings of fear inside…so much so, that we don’t even recognize that they can be the driver behind unproductive action/in action.  For example…

• Employee A has a brilliant idea yet keeps it to herself because she doesn’t want to be told it (she) is not good enough
• Employee B has a tendency to tell others their ideas ‘won’t fly’ to cover up his own fear of rejection
• Employee C is afraid to lose her job so she does as little as possible trying not to draw attention to herself
• Employee D agrees to every task requested by a superior even if he knows of more streamlined ways to accomplish the goal(s)
• Employee E talks a good game yet doesn’t ask for support to help fill in a skill gap that resulted from a recent promotion

Imagine the loss that occurs through these behaviors.  By not acknowledging and accepting the presence of fear, under-performance and disengagement lingers on and on until the probability of ongoing success diminishes.

Even though fear is a natural reaction for many scenarios, it is not likely to become an openly discussed topic in the workplace any time soon.  Hence, it is up to us to recognize how our own fear (and the fear others may be experiencing) is getting in the way of enhanced results.

 Forward Moving Tips:

1. Become aware of your thoughts and feelings when faced with challenges instead of mindlessly going about business as usual.
2. Instead of using fear as an unspoken thought or general feeling, get more specific.  What are you afraid will happen?  Better yet, what is the worst thing that could happen?  If that occurs, what would you do next?
3. Turn to the positive.  What is the best thing that might happen?  Now, we’re talking!  Yes, positive, fruitful experiences can result from events that spark fear and uncertainty.
4. Determine your needs by defining your requirements for support, training and information to work through any gaps?
5. Create an action plan to help you fill in the ambiguities and increase your degree of success.
6. Feel the fear and push through it to implement your action plan and achieve elevated results.

Sometimes, we can work through this on our own, yet in many cases, reaching out for trusted support can help us push through the fear more pointedly.

What other tips do you have to push through the fear?  (Comment below)

© Viage Partners 2013. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Viage Partners with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.