Fear is an emotion that comes from a perceived threat. We may not think of fear as being an emotion that will get in the way of our performance in our jobs….but I think especially in today’s economic climate it has been a prominent emotion. We fear losing our job to layoff, to downsizing, to restructuring – you name it. In many workplace’s today perhaps you don’t worry about losing your job, but you may worry your job may change. Certainly many people have been faced with doing more than their share of work – perhaps 1 ½ jobs, or even 2 jobs in one! This brings not only potential anger (or perhaps gratitude for still having a job), but a fear of “what if I can’t do that level of work”? “Will I be able to perform?”.
What other “choice” of fear might you engage in at work? Fear of rejection; fear of humiliation, fear of someone’s anger; fear of disapproval? How about the biggest fear of all? The fear of yourself and your ability to perform. It seems to be human nature to worry that we may not be “good enough”. Building your confidence and self esteem will be important for your success. Evaluate your fears and contemplate positive ways you can tackle and overcome them.
If your workplace is highly competitive this can lead to anxiety as well as fear. According to psychologists fear has no healthy benefits. Fear only robs us of our ability to perform at our best. Mistrust in your workplace can also lead to fear and anxiety. So… How can we manage fear? Individually, the most important way to manage fear is to acknowledge that it exists. As well, it is important to manage fear by:
Establishing clear expectations—being clear on what your peers or staff expect of you.
Assessing fear—that is, identifying what you or your team is fearful of and how it affects good performance.
Clarifying perceptions—do you feel that people on the job have to do things that are against their better judgement?
Defining the level of trust—do you feel that your peers, staff or suppliers are trustworthy? Do they trust you?
Communication—do you feel that your staff members have all the information needed to carry out their jobs? Is feedback being collected among peers, employees and management?
Training—is individual development and advancement supported by management? Are you, your peers and staff fully qualified for their jobs? If not, what have you done to ensure that your peers or staff acquires new knowledge and develop new skills? http://www.bia.ca/articles/DiminishingFearintheWorkplace.htm
On an individual level you might tackle fear by
Taking more risks – live a little – demonstrate to yourself that you can take risks and live through them, even if you fall on your head!
Use positive thinking and self talk. Stop the negative talk that tells you “I can’t do this”, and replace it with “I am capable of figuring this out”.
Volunteer for projects that will help you grow and stretch – and then don’t be afraid to work with a mentor to help you learn.

Most importantly, don’t operate from a fear based perspective. Confront your fears, open your mind to flexible thinking, communicate to gather needed information, and mostly trust yourself to be able to handle whatever life brings you.

JEALOUSY & ENVY

Don't waste time on jealousy. Sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind.
Mary Schmich

Jealousy and envy are not attractive emotions, and certainly have no place at work! One of the most annoying people in an office can be those who constantly believe someone else is “getting