Fear can be a great motivator, and is not always a negative tool to use when motivating your employees
Tim Ferris, an author and podcast host, explains how fear-setting can be a valuable exercise. This is something that you can encourage your employees to do once a month or once every quarter. In Tim Ferris’ fear-setting exercise you write down what your fears are, what are the consequences of that fear coming true and then what can be done to prevent the worst-case scenario.
By creating this checklist that outlines fears and consequences it prepares you to be able to thrive in high-stress environments. Defining the worst thing that can happen allows you to prepare for it and actually stops the fear from putting you in a state of decision paralysis. Many times in life it is fear that stops us from acting, and sometimes that fear is something vague that we haven’t even fully formed in our minds.
Using this tool enables you to be able to really crystalize what it is that you are afraid of and how to actually take action in the face of those fears. This method is something that is starting to be used in companies like Amazon, where CEO Jeff Bezos has said that he wants Amazon employees to wake up terrified. Bezos believes that this mindset will push employees out of complacency and promote constant improvement within the organization. A fear based workplace can be effective if done correctly.
If you want to watch Tim Ferris speak on fear-setting during his TED talk you can find the video here. He has also developed a free template for listing your fears and overcoming your fears of taking action.
Are you ready to try this new approach within your business and overcome your fear?