My Managers Are Leading With Fear

Bryan Gillum • March 11, 2021

Is your team missing the fearless leaders you need to be successful?

I spoke to a friend earlier this week who has experienced continual headaches. Her general practitioner suggested she go see a neurologist. She doesn’t want to set up an appointment because she is afraid to hear what is wrong. My conversation with her was very similar to another discussion I had with a manager last week. He knows his team is underperforming and was really frustrated – especially because he missed his daughter’s basketball game when a team member missed an assignment. I suggested he complete our diagnostic tool but he wasn’t interested in getting the results and dealing with the issue. I couldn’t understand why until I started thinking about fear.

We all have fear. It motivates us to act and behave a certain way. Many of us will avoid situations or take actions because of the fear of receiving information that might be hurtful to us. Some of us might try to manipulate or control the information we receive to avoid our fears. Fear drives behavior.

I have since spoken with a psychologist about this. I did not realize fear is our most powerful emotion and the single biggest factor that motivates us. We were created with fear in order to survive – it is our natural reaction to a situation and it was very helpful to the human population more than 10,000 years ago. When a gigantic animal approached, humans survived because of their fear. Fear produces adrenaline which increases our strength and endurance….which are helpful when encountering a huge dinosaur but not as effective when addressing the made-up monsters in our head. Today, fear restricts us from making wise decisions.

So what does this have to do with team effectiveness? All leaders have a fight-or-flight instinct that is initiated by fear. When a team member doesn’t meet expectations, they are inclined to take 1 of 2 approaches:

Give direct feedback and tell them everything they are doing wrong a fight or
Avoid the situation or do the work themselves à flight

As humans, it is not our natural instinct to diagnose a problem and develop sound, rational approaches to prevent the problem from occurring in the future. Instead, when we encounter an uncomfortable situation our natural fears go into overdrive and tell us to either confront the issue immediately or avoid the situation altogether.

The best managers don’t allow their fears to dictate their actions. Instead of reacting immediately, they will gather information and understand the factors that have caused the situation. They will also determine what factors are likely to occur again and those that were unique.

We help coach managers to react to situations differently and use our team effectiveness diagnostic tool to help them understand the recurring, normal occurrences that cause the team to miss expectations. We then take that information and develop programs and approaches that will change the behaviors of the team member and generate different outcomes.

Learn more about how we can turn your fear into a tangible plan that will prevent you from encountering that scary monster.

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5 Signs You May Need a Recruitment Partner

By Grant Covault • March 7, 2023

In today's highly competitive job market, finding and retaining the right talent for your business is more critical than ever. In fact, according to a recent release from Monster.com, 96% of workers will be seeking some type of new position in 2023 . However, the hiring process can be challenging, and many businesses struggle to find the right candidate for the job. That's where recruitment partners come in. A recruitment partner can help you find the right talent and streamline the hiring process. In this blog, we'll discuss 5 signs that indicate you may need a third-party to help you with your hiring needs. 1. Inability to Attract Qualified Candidates If you're struggling to attract qualified candidates for your job openings, it may be time to consider partnering with a recruitment firm. A good firm can assist you in identifying the root cause of the issues and collaborate with you to create an effective hiring strategy. With their extensive network of both active and passive job seekers, they can help you find the ideal candidate for your organization. 2. Time Constraints and Limited Resources Another sign that you may need to seek out help is when you feel pressed for bandwidth, and you are unable to dedicate the necessary time to the hiring process. A recruitment partner can handle the hiring process for you, from posting job openings to screening candidates and conducting interviews. This frees up your time to focus on other aspects of your business. 3. High Turnover Rates Nothing is more frustrating than making a hire only to lose that persona a short time later. Additionally, high employee turnover can be costly and affect productivity and morale. By bringing on a consultant, they can help you objectively identify why employees are leaving and find ways to improve retention. They can also help you create job descriptions that accurately reflect the role and company culture, ensuring that you attract candidates who are a good fit for your organization. 4. Lack of Industry Knowledge If you're not familiar with the job market in your industry, it can be challenging to find the right candidates for your organization. A recruitment partner has industry knowledge and can provide insights into the job market and salary trends. They can help you create competitive offers that attract top talent and ensure that you find the right candidate for the job. 5. Employer Brand Reputation Your employer brand reputation is essential to attracting top talent. If your business has a poor reputation, it can be challenging to attract the right candidates. Having the right consultant can help you improve your employer brand by providing insights into what candidates are looking for in a job and what makes a company attractive to potential employees. They can also help you create a positive candidate experience, ensuring that even candidates who don't get the job leave with a positive impression of your organization. In conclusion, hiring the right talent for your business can be challenging to do by yourself. However, with the help of the right recruitment partner, you can streamline the hiring process and find the best candidate for the job. If you're experiencing any of the signs outlined in this blog, reach out to us today for a free consultation to see if we are the right fit to help your team.