How to spot a fear-based management regime

A friend and I got together today over coffee.  He was telling me how his organization was moving from structure A to structure B and he was contemplating whether or not it was time for him to make a move.  It wasn't so much that he didn't like his job, but he was finally at the point while although he was making good money he didn't think he could handle the politics anymore.  He was tired of management and not being able to voice his opinion and in his words, was tired of being "everyone's whipping boy." 

So while driving back from Edmonton, I tried to figure out why anyone in this day and age would think it's ok to run a fear-based organization.  The stats exist and tell a pretty compelling story -- those companies with great employees that are respected, also win the race with clients/consumers/customers and repeat clients/consumers/customers.  It's not rocket science.  It's pretty much the golden rule: "Do unto others as you would have them to do to you."  You get what you give.  Why would you want to scare the crap out of your employees?

So if you're a manager or an employee in an organization...here are some quick clues to tell whether or not you might just be caught in a fear-based regime...

...When employees on purpose choose to surf facebook all day long, and do the real work after hours just in case one of the executives walks by...

...When the water cooler talk starts in the morning with conversation about whose stock is rising and whose is falling and a preoccupation with status and political capital is on everyone's mind...

...When intellectual capital is hoarded and people are afraid to share ideas or opinions...

...When management's obsession with metrics on a weekly basis becomes daily or hourly...

...When your company drones on and on about a handbook or policy rather than looking at the situation or the individual...

...When upper management is noticeably uncomfortable with the thought of "brain-storming sessions" and does it only to "look" good but then not actually listen or implement any of the ideas...

...If management has become hostage to their employees because he/she/they stop sharing what they are doing or neglect to document what they do in effort to become indispensable...

...If management threatens job loss as a consequence of not doing something in a large meeting setting...

...If brown-nosers rule (in other words, if management is never challenged on ANYTHING)...

...If management says "Be happy to have a job considering the economy"...

Look - managers have to know that people want to be empowered and motivated.  Fear-trampled employees don't do a thing for your business.  Admittedly, management by fear is a hard habit to break, because fearful employees don't speak up.  However, competitors are hiring the best talent - and will eventually hire yours.  This means they will steal the market share and running a company based on fear makes it easy to do it - even when you pay them a lot of money. 

Do you really want to find out what your meek, submissive, broken-down employees can do in an environment that allows them to thrive?

http://www.elevatedhr.com/