- Potential problems which could be proactively addressed are not identified
- Meetings are not used productively
- Mistakes are more frequent
- People do not volunteer for new or different responsibilities
- Time needed to learn new responsibilities is increased
- Employees are suspicious and distrustful of other employees, and management
- Management is suspicious and distrustful of employees and other managers
- Decisions are made and problems are solved at higher levels of the organization than necessary
- Employee turnover results in downtime as well as a costly learning curve for new personnel
- Ideas for new products and services are not generated, resulting in missed opportunities and profits
- Culture of fear breeds fearful, suspicious customers who buy less or buy from other vendors
- Business networks are not used for maximum impact, resulting in lost opportunities for new customer or vendor relationships and lost business
How Fear Is Manifested In Organizations
- Meetings in which little disagreement is expressed, with people quickly conceding to the leader’s point of view
- People doing just what is expected, taking little initiative, and looking to management for day to day direction
- Low morale which is not improved by employee recognition awards other ceremonial overtures from management
- An overactive rumor mill in which people try to create meaning and context out of their fear
- Defensiveness and resistance around performance evaluation
- Reluctance to provide 360 degree leader feedback
- Employees are overly critical of management, and management is overly critical of employees
- Turnover, both voluntary and involuntary, is increased
- Absenteeism is increased, as are reports of stress related illness and behaviors
- Productivity is decreased, and small crises erupt which are delegated upward to management for resolution
