According to a recent report, a ‘culture of fear’ is making 93% of the UK workforce consider leaving their current job.
93%!!! 9.3% would be too much.
And this isn’t the only research to reach this conclusion, with employees across all sectors reporting that they are intimidated, demoralised or threatened by leadership.
Why is this situation not causing more of an outcry?
A culture of fear is caused by the barrier of Downward Focus, which blocks off a range of essential soft skills, including confidence, motivation, contribution and concentration. At the root of this is lack of trust…trust that management is capable, communication is honest, objectives are clear, treatment is fair, and that leadership has the requisite skills and vision.
Sometimes it’s easy to see that you’re working in a culture of fear. At other times, the rot is hidden behind a shiny façade, and you may think that you’re imagining things.
7 warning signs:
- There’s an undercurrent of uncertainty
- Blaming has become a norm
- Unhealthy behaviour is known to happen, but it’s not talked about openly
- Quieter people withdraw further into themselves
- A low failure tolerance means employees play safe
- There’s a lack of enthusiasm, motivation and engagement
- Oppressive behaviour, such as bullying, thrives and goes unchecked
Any 1 of these indicates a culture of fear…are any lurking in your work environment?
If so, what to do?
You may be among the 93% who feel they have no choice other than to look for a new working environment. Could you find others within your organisation who feel the same (it seems likely there’ll be a few of them around!) and make change from the inside? With rates of dissatisfaction so high, this could be a more successful option. Because without a lot of change from a lot of leaders there are few better places to be right now.
If you’re in a leadership position look at what’s going on in your organisation, get external support from objective truth-tellers to identify the problems, and transform your culture of fear into a culture of trust.
It could be easier and more necessary than you realise.
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