How to Build a Culture of Fear in 3 Easy Steps

By Marcia Ruben • October 16th, 2009

fearclipartLeaders, follow these three easy steps if you want to ensure that tough issues are never raised, that you don’t receive early warning signs, and that employees are seen and not heard. If you follow these steps faithfully, you and your executive team will hold all the power. You will be secure in your conference room, knowing that no outside influences sway your decisions. You will be assured that you are right, and all others are wrong! But beware; pursuing this path could result in a totally avoidable train wreck. What if Merrill’s Board of Directors hadn’t turned a blind eye to internal risk managers who saw the dangers of collateralized debt obligations? What if AIG’s Board had recognized the folly of not holding its executives accountable for unsavory business practices?

What follows are the three surefire steps:

  1. When Someone Makes a Mistake, Put them in the Penalty Box

As an executive consultant, I have seen this phenomenon again and again, particularly in companies with highly educated and professional knowledge workers. When standards are high, the bar is raised. More often than not, this ensures outstanding work products and unimagined results. However, human beings are fallible and in the pursuit of excellence, mistakes are made. I once heard George Zimmer, CEO of Men’s Wearhouse give a talk. He explained that he encouraged his employees to make mistakes, and even rewarded them for mistakes. He saw mistakes as a learning opportunity. Unfortunately, some leaders punish those who have one misstep. These leaders take a negative snapshot which is difficult to change. They never view that individual in a different light.

  1. If Someone Brings up a Taboo Topic, Demote them. Better yet, fire them.

I have worked within companies where employees confide that they have been socialized not to raise taboo topics. Taboo topics often involve pay, promotions, favoritism, or unethical behavior. Employees easily cite company lore about individuals who challenged a boss, or brought up a taboo topic. These actions were deemed career limiting because the person in question either was demoted, or in some cases fired. Employees learn what is acceptable and unacceptable behavior by watching what happens to others. It is the rare leader who actively seeks the “elephants in the room.”

  1. When an Employee Brings you Bad News, Chastise Them

Many employees easily learn that they will be chastised or worse for bringing their boss bad news. I have witnessed employees spending hours polishing and spinning messages before they are escalated. Much of the spinning and polishing is aimed at ensuring that the blame falls elsewhere. Dr. David A. Bella has put together a fascinating theory about the systemic distortion of information. This happens when well intentioned individuals learn that it is not okay to tell the truth. Information gets polished as it goes up the leadership chain. By the time it reaches top management, the information is stripped of any bad news. The problem is that senior leaders don’t always have the full spectrum of data that they need to make strategic course corrections.

These are very tough economic times. When I visit client sites, leaders and employees alike are worried. However, fear and worry can shut down critical lines of communication. Now, more than ever, it is incumbent upon leaders to ensure that there is a free flow of information.

If you would like to assess your organization and ensure that you have not built a culture of fear, please contact me at info@rubenconsuting.com for a complimentary consultation.

©Copyright Marcia Ruben, Ph.D. Ruben Consulting Group All rights reserved.

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Comments(14) Business, Fear, Leadership, Leadership Development, Leadership Wisdom, Leadership and Coaching, Strategy

Comments

By Jamie Flinchbaugh on October 16th, 2009 at 5:50 pm

Good tips. I think the penalty box is often unintended by the sender, but that’s how it’s received. For example, one way this happens is that the leader asks the individual to do a post-mortem, After Action Review or some other form of reflection on the failure. The intention is good hearted – we want someone to learn from their failure. However, the comes in the form of PowerPoint reflection in front of a large audience of peers or superiors and it ends up very painful for the participant. That’s the part they remember. We have to be careful – punishing them on purpose is one thing. But doing it by accident is just as dangerous.

Jamie Flinchbaugh
http://www.jamieflinchbaugh.com

By Bill Benett on October 17th, 2009 at 10:53 pm

Spot on Marcia.

It’s funny how many corporations publicly praise maverick, or even just plain honest, thinking, then punish it when it turns up close to home.

By mark allen roberts on October 21st, 2009 at 2:04 pm

Great thought leadership!

As we have downsized our teams to the bare bones we must be discussing what matters, however a number of teams are using 1950’s style …”let the beatings continue until the morale improves” and they wonder why team members are afraid to be a part of the solution.

Market leaders are creating teams that outlaw “blame storming” like I discuss in my blog : http://nosmokeandmirrors.wordpress.com/2009/06/22/blame-storming-a-sign-you-work-for-a-market-loser-not-a-leader/ and they are missing their goal targets.

Great job on discussing what the Market Losers are doing.

Mark Allen Roberts
http://www.outbsolutions.com

By Wally Bock on October 21st, 2009 at 2:47 pm

Congratulations! This post was selected as one of the five best independent business blog posts of the week in my Three Star Leadership Midweek Review of the Business Blogs.

http://blog.threestarleadership.com/2009/10/21/102109-midweek-look-at-the-independent-business-blogs.aspx

Wally Bock

By Marcia Ruben on October 21st, 2009 at 3:52 pm

Thank you, Wally! This is quite an honor! Your positive feedback encourages me to keep writing! Marcia Ruben

By Marcia Ruben on October 21st, 2009 at 3:54 pm

Mark, I appreciate your comments and thoughts. Yes, in a down economy, it is easy to fall back on old leadership habits. We have to remember that things will get better, and those who don’t like the culture will flee. I look forward to reading your blog as well. Marcia Ruben

By Marcia Ruben on October 21st, 2009 at 3:55 pm

Bill, thanks for your comments. It is odd that out of the box thinking is punished, when in fact, it should be rewarded.

By Marcia Ruben on October 21st, 2009 at 3:56 pm

Jamie, I know just what you mean. I have participated in post-mortem reviews. As you say, even with the best of intentions, making a mistake is not seen as a learning opportunity. No wonder people are not eager to participate the second time around!

By Jackie Cameron on October 22nd, 2009 at 8:25 am

Hi Marcia

Came here via Wally Bock! Great post and this kind of behaviour is all too common.

I found this article yesterday on a similar(ish) theme

http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/uk/Is-your-boss-grumpy-Then.5751018.jp

Would be interested in your thoughts

By Rodney Johnson on October 22nd, 2009 at 3:48 pm

Is it building a culture of fear, or a culture of avoidance. i.e. avoid delivering that bad news… avoid dealing with a challenged employee… avoid…

I believe its truly about a culture of avoidance, which is the premise behind what I refer to as “Silent Problems.” These are problems that being avoided, neglected, are going unnoticed, or being intentionally silenced, as noted in the book “Without Warning.” And the reason I challenge the fear vs. avoidance issue is simple. Over time, problems that are avoided, morph and become more toxic. And its how we unleash these silent problems and deal with them is critically important in the performance of an organization. Dealing with fear inside an organization is very challenging. Dealing with the issue why certain problems are being avoided can be dealt with in a positive manner as presented in the book.

By Chief Jon on October 23rd, 2009 at 7:52 am

Hi Marcia,

I saw your Fear post on Wally’s site and left comments on it there.

I’ll tell you that I experienced all three of you points this week alone but when I read your post I had to LOL. So, thanks for the great topic, it really helped me put to rest a 3 headed dragon of a week.

Chief Jon

By Marcia Ruben on October 29th, 2009 at 11:08 am

Chief Jon, thanks so much for your comment. I would like to hear more about your 3-headed dragon. I am pleased that my post helped you in some way. Marcia Ruben

By Marcia Ruben on October 29th, 2009 at 11:13 am

Jackie, thanks so much for your comments. I looked at the article you referenced. Thank you. I agree with the author that leaders are not trained to manage conflict, and that leads to additional stress for leaders and their workforce. Bob Eichinger and Mike Lombardo have done research on their Voices 360 feedback database. They have found that while conflict management is one of a handful of competencies critical for leadership success, it is also one of the least developed. They claim that conflict management is one of those competencies that needs to be developed early in order to ensure proficiency. Unfortunately, very few of us are naturally blessed with the ability to manage conflict. What do you think?

By Marcia Ruben on October 29th, 2009 at 11:16 am

Rodney, thanks for your comment. I am also writing a book, based on solid research. These are big organizational issues and it will take a global village to solve our collective challenges.

 

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Marcia Ruben, Ph.D., CMC

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