There are numerous ways to motivate your employees, but one of the most common is Fear. Fear of the unknown. Fear of loosing your job. Fear of harm. Fear is actually a poor motivator because of what happens neurologically.
In the book Wet Mind by Stephen M. Kosslyn and Oliver Koenig, they explain how your brain makes an uncontrolled shift when encountering fear and stress.
- There is a limited ability for problem solving.
- The person becomes hyper alert with a constricted focus.
- The brain frantically searches for response information, relying on past experiences.
- For some, the person can become overwhelmed and dissociate.
Dissociation is common during times of high stress. Have you found yourself daydreaming, while driving and not sure of where you are? Then you have dissociated. If your goal is to improve importance, you need to avoid fear.
Triggers for Fear and Stress:
- Loud noises cause an immediate response and are very useful in life safety situations.
- Closed door meetings heighten fear and anxiety because of the unknown. People seldom function well when kept in a vacuum
- Unexpected activities like laying someone off, will cause most of the staff to become stressed. This is especially true if they did not see it coming.
To diminish fear, simply apply a compliment or word of encouragement.
Ken Bear Cole
A Second Look Business Consulting LLC
Great post. Too many businesses and managers create fear inadvertently by being overly-secretive. Hence the lay-offs that no-one saw coming and the closed-door meetings. The intention may be to preserve confidentiality, but the result is a climate of fear.