Fear, Does it Motivate People?
A buddy of mine got me thinking about fear as it relates to motivation. He presented the argument that fear is an effective motivator when you can actually affect the outcome. In other words, if someone has control over what they are afraid of, then it motivates them; otherwise, fear, when it surrounds something that is out of your control, is a de-motivator.
It’s pretty logical I think. If you tell an employee they should fear losing their job because there are plenty of other people that will work harder for the same pay and responsibility, that’s something they have control over. But if you tell someone they should fear losing their job if you’re your venture funding falls through, that’s something they can’t do anything about.
In discussion with my friend about this topic, he said this was just common sense. But in my experience, the fear we use to motivate others is often based on things they have no control of. By just understanding this simple concept, two great things can be achieved. First, people can be effectively motivated by fear; and second relates to what I’ve seen to be the most effective motivator of all, the feeling of being impactful.
When people feel like they are having an impact. When they really know the job they are doing is actually affecting the company in a significant and positive way, they get feel good; the more impact, the more motivation. When fear is used in a way that allows someone to actually affect their situation, they can fully embrace it and take actions that will have an impact. That’s a pretty strong motivator.
I've never thought about it like this but it makes sense.
Posted by: Neil Sequeira
Fear motivates, but it doesn't motivate on a long-term basis and it causes employees to "obey" in the short term but creates no loyalty. A salesperson threatened to produce will vigorously get down to task, but as soon as the noose loosens, it will be back to the same routine. Threatening environments are often high turnover environments as well, because again, you're not fostering loyalty when you manage through fear. Most living creatures RESIST being controlled. The more control you try to gain through fear, the more a work environment starts to feel like a cage.
Also, fear sometimes appears to work, but that can be deceiving. What is going on behind the scenes when people are motivated by fear? Are you forcing your employees to lie? Cheat? Fake numbers? Work against or sabotage each other?
These are things that should be considered before you decide to use fear as a motivator. Fear is a "quick fix" like duct tape. A lot of people use it but it isn't a quality or long-term solution for repairs.
Posted by: Lynn M