Comments on: Fear Can Ruin Your Business From Within

By: John Hoff

John Hoff — Wed, 07 May 2008 23:47:38 +0000

@Theresa - you summed my post up very well. That is exactly the point I was trying to get across.

If open communication is broken down in the workplace because of the fear of what might happen if an individual speaks up, your company will suffer.

- moral will be down
- employees will bad talk about where they work
- work will be lost when a boss is gone because of gossip
- employees won’t care if the company succeeds or fails

…etc.

By: John Hoff

John Hoff — Wed, 07 May 2008 23:41:12 +0000

Hey Catherine - I’m glad to see you’re not one of those bosses people are afraid to come to. It’s vital to keep a good open line of communication between bosses and employees.

People say you shouldn’t date people you work with, but there are a few times it works out and I’m glad to see it did for you.

So now that you’re married . . . are you still the boss?

By: Theresa

Theresa — Wed, 07 May 2008 23:39:03 +0000

Hi John, fear is such a problem in work place today. I worked for a major hotel for over 20 years in the legal department. I think most companies have the right procedures in place but unfortunately not practiced. If an employee does not have clear access to management that they feel they can speak freely to without the fear of retaliation, then minor sitatuations escalate instead of being resolved. Favoritism to an employee is a big problem and once witnessed by other employees, competition for recognition becomes the main focus along with fear of not measuring up. Great suggestions!!

Love the Tigger illustration!

By: Cath Lawson

Cath Lawson — Wed, 07 May 2008 16:35:34 +0000

Hi John - I don’t think I’m scary enough to invoke fear in people. And I know what you mean about socializing outside of work - it’s just not a great idea. The only person who worked for me that I socialized with outside of work is Stuart but I’m married to him now. That didn’t matter too much, because nobody else at work really knew about it until he moved in.

Cath Lawson’s last blog post..To Share Or Not To Share?

By: John Hoff

John Hoff — Tue, 06 May 2008 21:14:59 +0000

Hey Barbara - yep, we have had the same issues with our landscape company.

Fear is a strong word and there are many different levels. Usually you’ll see fear coming into play between a boss and an employee once communication has broken down. However, in many cases it’s just simply an employee with a bad attitude like you said.

By: Barbara Swafford

Barbara Swafford — Tue, 06 May 2008 18:58:48 +0000

Hi John,

I love the picture. That’s precious!

We are self employed, with employees. Over the years, we have had our share of different personalities. It’s actually been an interesting “mix”.

I don’t think there’s ever been an internal “fear” (based on my and my husband’s personalities), however, we have seen a lack of teamwork from time to time, based on who our employees were. Some liked to “stir the pot”, and sway others to their way of thinking, leading to negativity amongst the crew. That was a tough thing to “break up”, as you can’t change someones’ way of thinking (easily).

Now we have a small crew that works well together. We squash any bad mouthing that arises as soon as it happens, and communicate that we do not tolerate that behavior. By doing so, we see increased productivity and employee morale.

I agree that being social (outside of work) with employees is not a good idea. It gives an impression of favoritism, and that can only lead to subsequent problems with those who are not included. Just as we need to be a parent to our children, we need to be a boss to our employees.

Barbara Swafford’s last blog post..NBOTW Will Set You On Fire