Management is not a popularity contest. We’re hired to meet targets and expand markets—and that includes cracking down on inefficiencies and making sure standards, deadlines, and budgets are kept.
Experienced executives say that it helps to have your staff just a little afraid, just so they take your directives darn seriously. “I refuse to waste management time begging people to meet their deadlines,” says Boots, a creative director of a global advertising agency. “When I say I need something at 3 pm tomorrow, I expect it on my desk by 2:45.” Boots himself was trained by tough bosses. “I learned the most in jobs where I was forced to deliver under tough circumstances—when there was no excuse to fail.”
But does management by fear really work?
So why did fear work for Boots—when current research in industrial psychology clearly shows that management by fear actually reduces employee performance? Because Boots’ boss set clear expectations and delivered praise and punishment with logic and fairness. In other words, it was really management by objective, not management by fear.
The fear that paralyzes organizations and sends employees into nervous breakdowns are caused by management by personality. People become so terrified of their bosses that their job is less about meeting department goals or improving company profitability than keeping management happy.
Have you looked at some symptoms of “unhealthy” fear among employees? Here are some:
They’re more concerned with following the rules than winning the game.
How many memos and sanctions have you sent this year? Something is really wrong if you spend more time watching your employees than you do your competition. Decide which rules matter most to business performance—and take frequent lapses as a symptom of a deeper problem. “Your organizational structure may not suit your business’ needs, or your employees may not understand your directions or policies,” says Betsy Grozman, an industrial psychologist at the Center of Organizational Development.
They’d rather shut up than succeed.
If your staff whitewashes mistakes, or echoes your opinion rather than give honest recommendations on a problem based on their expertise, then fear of punishment has officially killed what makes managers truly effective: an accurate grip on reality. “If you are really after your company’s success, you will want employees to communicate well, “ says Grozman. “But if you are protecting your authority, then you will reward Yes-Men.”
They don’t know why you’re angry.
Many employees say they’d rather have a tough boss than an unpredictable one, who sets conflicting goals and plays favorites. “It’s like being stuck in a ring with a bull,” says one beleaguered employee, “you can’t reason with him, and you can’t escape.
