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The Paradigm Shift That Creates Leadership Strategies for Positive Conflict Management

6 min read

“Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!”

Smoke and mirrors, threats and fears – CONFLICT.

Even the slightest scent of conflict causes many to bolt out of the situation as if a 500-pound gorilla were threatening them.

Conflict is uncomfortable for most people. It’s a natural signal that something is wrong and must be addressed.

But is conflict actually a threat? And if so, what does it threaten?

What if the conflict was like the Wizard of Oz pulling levers behind a curtain, creating a mirage that exploits our fear?

What if the conflict wasn’t a threat but an opportunity for multifarious growth?

The reality is that conflict cannot be avoided. Not within your organization. Not between team members. Nor in their lives outside of the office.

Embracing conflict as a growth opportunity is the paradigm shift that creates leadership strategies for positive conflict management.

Organizational Leadership is Conflict Resolution

Leadership expert Brian Williamson gives words to what many leaders feel:

“Leading people with unresolved issues is difficult and costly. Leaders, you are in the business of conflict resolution.”

No way around it. You can only go through it, and the cost of not addressing conflict is astounding.

Phillipe Patry’s research with Global Mindful Solutions uncovered these astonishing stats:

$359 billion in paid hours – 2.8 hours per week per employee devoted to conflict
Absenteeism – Employees take time off from work to avoid conflict as well as use sick time to address health issues caused by conflict
High Turnover – 485,800 people resign annually due to unresolved conflict
Loss of Productivity – Managers invest 42% of their time dealing with, not resolving, conflict
Opportunity Costs – How much ingenuity and efficiency are squelched by unresolved conflict?
Risk of Lawsuits – If bullying and harassment are dismissed or minimized, legal action can be taken
Lack of Motivation – many employees disengage from their work due to unresolved conflict

Ok. So maybe there really is a 500-pound gorilla threatening your company! But it’s not conflict. It’s conflict avoidance.

Solve the Problem of Conflict Avoidance with this Equation…

MV2+I2

This simple formula is ripe with possibilities to help you customize leadership strategies for positive conflict management.

M represents the mission of the organization. V2 represents the Vision and Values of the team. I2 represents the ideas and issues that are present in the conflict.

Within this framework, you can address the problem without attacking the person. MV2 + I2 reinforces the aspirational culture of the company and not any one person’s preferences.

This formula guides you to keep the conversation focused on solutions. That’s why ideas and issues are combined.

Handle Conflict as a Leader by Focusing on Your Mission, Vision, and Values

Attack the problem by prioritizing your organization’s mission, vision, and values. Conflict assumes a level of disagreement.

For people to be on your team, they have already agreed to pursue the mission, embrace the vision, and abide by the values.

Each of those is an objective corporate agreement. Not subjective preferences or personal priorities. Anything that threatens any one of those must be addressed for the good of the organization.

Further, letting the conflict be framed within the boundaries of your organization’s priorities allows those in conflict to recognize that they are a part of something bigger than themselves.

When conflict can step outside this formula, you risk lowering morale, fostering negativity, and hindering productivity.

Navigate Conflict With Understanding

Solutions must be pursued. Otherwise, conflict only festers. Like water in your shoes that makes your socks wet – acknowledging the issue only gets you so far.

What ideas are being brought to the table? Where is the disagreement?

What issues are people at odds over? Personal? Professional? Corporate?

Now, don’t think that if the issues are personal, they should be handled outside the workplace.

As Brian Williamson stated – unresolved issues are costly. And not just for your company. But for the community. For the next generation.

Leaders are in the business of positive conflict management – for a far greater purpose than a successful business.

Helping people neither fight nor flee conflict, but engaging without aggression can flood the world with hope and healing.

Conflict is not a 500-pound gorilla. It’s a golden opportunity.

Conflict Reveals What Our Hearts Hide From Us

Part of what makes us human is our desires. We want something out of life that’s more than functional productivity.

We often don’t realize, though, what desires drive us. They are hidden deep in our hearts. So familiar that they’ve become white noise in the background of our day-to-day decision-making.

Conflict pushes these desires to the surface. Take a risk to be vulnerable for a few sentences.

Why do some feel nervous when someone else gets more attention?

Why do some feel threatened when they get attention?

How much praise do you need to receive to feel accepted?

Whose disappointment threatens your self-concept the most?

In a busy world where a bazillion notifications consistently disrupt introspection, conflict can reveal motivations that have long been concealed.

Until desires are threatened, we may not even know how deep their grip is on our psyche. Award-winning novelist Louise Penny captures this reality with remarkable insight. Her character, Ruth Zardo, pens the poem:

“Mother died long ago

She’s not finished with me yet.”

An employee who never felt the approval of their parents might have a hair trigger when criticized. The criticism may be fair, constructive, and loving. But it won’t matter until the hurts are healed.

Conflict can expose deeply buried issues. Handling conflict as a leader can present an otherwise allusive opportunity for healing.

Handling Conflict as a Leader is a Sacred Opportunity

Can you see the opportunity that conflict presents? I raced with a sailing team with the highest turnover of all the boats in the fleet.

The toxicity on board was palpable. The conflict between the owner and first mate was our nastiest headwind.

They argued over tactics and maneuvers. The first mate took the criticism and questions about his judgment personally.

The mission and vision of winning the race were quickly lost as the toxicity spread to the rest of the crew, which was berated over small mistakes.

Who in their right mind would choose to remain in a dysfunctional environment? Few would.

Hence the turnover both on this ship and in so many workplaces. And marriages. And neighborhoods.

Self-aware and self-respecting people don’t allow themselves to be continually treated in harmful ways.

What if a leader was able to address obvious dysfunction like this?

An atmosphere of tension and fear would dissipate.

Triggering issues may be revealed, and the damage of past trauma could dare to be healed.

Profits, efficiency, and ingenuity would increase. Employee turnover and quiet quitting would decrease.

How much health could be infused into families? And how might that impact neighborhoods? Communities? Schools? Future generations?

Would you dare to dream this big with me?

At Full Sail Leadership Academy, our mission is to make the world a better place by improving workplaces.

We aren’t going to settle for bigger profit margins and increased productivity. We sail further. To brighter horizons for everyone, we have the privilege of influencing.

Seize the Opportunity and Set Sail with Us!

Do you want a guide to help you navigate the choppy waters of conflict? One sure way to spark healthy conflict is by getting your team on the water sailing with us.

Our workshops are designed to put MV2+I2 to work! Your team will be equipped to be interdependent as they pursue a common mission to ensure smooth sailing.

Personalities, opinions, and preferences all take a back seat to the goal of successfully sailing through the course.

When your entire team must each contribute meaningfully and cohesively, issues hiding under the waterline are forced to the surface.

Communication. Respect. Confidence. Appreciation.

Tension in the workplace is challenging to address. But when you’re out of the workplace and on the water, intentionally building chemistry and exposing gaps, the golden opportunity of conflict is handed to you on a silver platter.

Our process ensures this.

Before we hit the water, we sit in the classroom. During this time, you’ll be equipped with all the knowledge you need for a successful and enjoyable sailing experience.

Then we shove off from shore and put the knowledge to work. While sailing, you and your team will have many lessons that spring to life.

That’s why we debrief and offer a personalized, actionable plan to guide you to harness your strengths and address the gaps you want to prioritize.

Handling conflict as a leader doesn’t have to be exhausting drudgery. With Full Sail’s expert guidance, you’ll be given leadership strategies for positive conflict management.

You can seize the opportunity conflict provides and make the world a better place by making your workplace better.

Reach out today!

June 21, 2023/by Tim Dittloff

The Staggering Impact of Creating a Culture of Encouragement in Your Workplace

Employee Engagement, Team Building

6 min read

Don’t you love a good rudder? Isn’t it a relief when you don’t have to lose any sleep worrying about the quality of your rudder?

Wait.

Your mind doesn’t randomly roam to your rudder?

Most people don’t daydream about the mechanical components of a ship. But if you ever step foot on a sailboat and intend to return to land, you need one.

A rudder is essential to the entire function of a sailboat. Even though it is small in comparison to the ship – and makes its living under the waterline – a rudder is responsible to direct the ship.

This small, easily overlooked piece of hardware is essential to your vessel functioning as intended. It’s best to pay attention to them.

Just like the perspective of each member of your team. You may not always see it, but it is pivotal to the functioning of your business.

Skilled leaders know how to draw out the best in people and utilize individual strengths for the good of the whole.

Without this, your business may quickly become lost at sea.

What Happens When Employees Don’t Feel Encouraged at Work?

What do you think is your team’s greatest motivation for showing up to work?

Money? Resume building? Comradery? Mission?

Do you want to increase the level of ownership your team has in the mission of your company? Most leaders do.

Why?

Nothing beats intrinsic motivation. When an employee feels personal ownership of the mission and vision of the company, everything changes.

People want to live a life they are passionate about. No one wants to invest their best years grinding away just to survive.

If leaders want their team members to own the vision and team members want to have their work connect to their passions – then why is 18% of the workforce actively disengaged?

This is the $500 billion question. Leader – you hold the keys to unlock the treasure.

It’s not about technique or skill. You don’t need an AI tool to do the heavy lifting for you.

You simply need to value your rudder. That is, YOU need to intrinsically value the perspectives of your team members – and encourage them.

What would you give to see:

Problems within your organization when they are small versus in crisis?
Each member of the team working from and maximizing their strengths?
Your team energized and eager to come to work?

Then you’ll love learning from the Coast Guard.

The Coast Guard Rule 5 for Preventing Collisions at Sea

“Every vessel shall at all times maintain a proper look-out by sight and hearing as well as by all available means appropriate in the prevailing circumstances and conditions to make a full appraisal of the situation and/or the risk of collision.”

Don Doggett simplifies Rule #5: “A vessel has to have a lookout at all times, in all directions using all means possible!”

This sounds simple enough. It’s easy for leaders to assume that your team wants your company to succeed as much as you do.

But that’s rarely true.

The people on your team have massive concerns outside of your company. They may be raising families, caring for sick family members, wrestling through trauma, buried in student loan debt, priced out of the housing market….the list goes on.

So does their joy! The people on your team may be falling in love, volunteering their discretionary time, discovering new hobbies, training a new pet, and so much more.

Your company’s success may be one of the most essential things in your life. But probably not in theirs.

Encourage this. See your employees as people. Acknowledge their pain – and their passion. This will set the course for how your team views your company and treats each other.

People who feel encouraged will WANT to look out for the good of others.

Create a Culture of Encouragement by Harnessing the Best Ideas

“Being a boss doesn’t mean you have all the answers, just the brain to recognize the right one when you hear it.”

Katherine famously instructed Jack with these words in the Broadway sensation, The Newsies. We would be wise to heed her advice.

The most influential leaders are not unquestionably wise or impenetrably strong. They have a meek, humble disposition that assumes the people around them bring value to the table.

And have the desire and sill to draw that out.

What would happen if, instead of positioning yourself as a “thought leader,” you labored to become a “thought incubator?”

That is, you invested more effort and energy into drawing out the good ideas that others have than promoting the insight you think you have.

Maybe you wouldn’t get as much recognition. But you would also have far less pressure on your shoulders! And a far more motivated, healthy, and loyal team.

This doesn’t mean you must give the same weight to every opinion. You don’t even have to feel obligated to follow through on every recommendation every person offers.

Patrick Lencioni says that most people don’t need to have every idea implemented. They just need to know they’re heard.

A Culture of Encouragement is Contagious

Titles don’t equal influence.

In fact, they often have the opposite effect. A study done by the Harvard Business Review found that 58% of people trust strangers more than their boss.

A gold-plated name tag on a corner office may symbolize status. Power.

Apparently, it’s also a signal of distrust.

Trust in authority has been consistently eroding since the 1950s. The Viet Nam War and Watergate opened up the floodgates of distrust.

Occupy Wallstreet. Me too. Black Lives Matter. Fake News.

To harness the best ideas from your people and create a culture of encouragement – you have to earn it.

This is a layered opportunity.

Networks form organically and structurally in every organization. Tap into this. You can unleash extraordinary ideas and harness insightful critiques – through the credibility others have established.

And then – you can pass the credit where it belongs and reinforce the culture of teamwork and encouragement you’re striving to cultivate.

Where there are issues of safety to address, you can step into them full stop. It’s one thing to be ignorant. It’s another to be negligent.

Press in. Let yourself be inconvenienced by other people’s concerns. Everyone will be better for it, including your company.

Step Outside of the Office to See Encouragement Come Alive

Helping your team see and embrace the value of other teammates and departments is incisively powerful. Several years ago, a client with a productivity and profitability challenge came to us.

This firm is in the architectural art industry. At the time, the architects would design the structure, then hand it off to the artists.

The artists often responded with, “We can’t do anything with that,” and the architects would have to return to the “drawing board.”

This costs the firm time lost productivity and money.

We asked our client why the artists felt they couldn’t provide input early in the process. The owners told us that the artist’s most common response was, “We aren’t as smart as those guys, and we don’t know what will work.”

The problem wasn’t a lack of communication; the problem came down to poor attitude and appreciation.

Our workshop was the first time they processed how the interdependence of the two departments was critical to the organization’s success.

The insight struck like a lightning bolt while we were on the water.

We raised the sails and asked the artists to take the wheel and drive the boat. Their first reaction was, “We’ve never driven a sailboat before; we can’t do that!”

When the architects heard this, they said, “That sounds exactly like what they say in the office!” This dialogue brought the issue to life.

After a bit of encouraging, coaching, and cheering from the rest of the team, the artists took the helm and drove the boat for a good portion of the sailing.

Before this moment, they never checked the rudder of interdependence and mutual appreciation. This oversight caused them to waste enormous energy steering the sailboat.

But once they did, the team could sail with greater efficiency and energy than ever.

Underperformance. Miscommunication. Inefficient process.

This plague every business. Sometimes, they can ALL be solved by simply empowering your team to walk across the hall and encourage their teammates.

In the End – We’re Building People

Profit margins matter. Bolstering brands is essential. As Donald Miller says, “You may not be in business to make money, but if you don’t make money, you won’t stay in business.”

At Full Sail Leadership Academy, our mission is to make the world a better place by making better workplaces.

In the end – we’re building people. So are you. If you’re not, then we may not be the right guide for your journey.

But if you want to see human beings thrive, communities beautified, and the quality of lives enhanced, we would be honored to guide you on that journey.

We have resources prepared for you to foster a culture of encouragement. We’d welcome a conversation, and if you’re ready to take a leap onto the water – our workshops can equip you to lead your company to the bright horizons you deserve.

Don’t wait any longer to check on your rudder. Giving them some attention may be just what you need to give your company the direction you need!

Reach out today!

May 30, 2023/by Tim Dittloff

Caring About Others in the Workplace (Going Beyond “Techniques”)

Employee Engagement, Leadership Development

5 min read

Have you ever looked out over the water and it seemed as though it was moving in one direction? Or another? Or maybe switching directions even as you watch?

Water currents don’t work that way. Streams flow in one direction. Even though major bodies of water like Lake Michigan may have a shift in current, the water generally flows in one direction.

The water on the surface can appear to move in one direction while the current underneath pulls in the other. A body of water may appear peaceful on the surface and yet it may have a strong undertow.

You can’t measure the force of a current by the surface alone. You need to know what’s happening in the deeper water.

Amid the Great Resignation, many leaders know they need help to navigate these troubled waters. We understand this anxiety and yet still see opportunity on the horizon.

In the second part of our current leadership series, we’re going to consider one of the most critical competencies for any leader: listening.

But we’re not going to focus on category or technique. An ocean of resources is already available for you on that.

We’re going to ask you to take a vulnerable risk. Will you look beneath the surface of your current listening skills and consider your motives?

Engaging the Heart of Your Employees

The greatest resource in your company is the people. Employees are not tools to be utilized to accomplish a purpose. They are human beings with a full life.

Just as it is for a leader, so it is for a team member. Work may be a crucial part of life, but it’s just one part of a bigger whole.

Do you care about the work-life harmony of the people on your team? When you correct an employee, do you consider how it will impact their relationships outside of work?

When you see an employee settling for being good when you know they could be great – do you factor in what may be going on in their home?

Of course, no leader should try to be the best friend or counselor to everyone on the team. No human being has the capacity for that.

Our question to you is simply this – do you care?

You can be filled with vision and insight, know exactly how to chart a course to success, even navigate choppy and turbulent waters with contagious confidence.

But how deeply do you care about your crew?

Reflect on some of your favorite leaders from your life. Maybe a boss, a teacher, or a coach.

Why did they leave a lasting impression on you? Was it their skill, insight, or humor? Or was it something deeper?

Could you sense that they cared about you? Could you tell that they wanted the best for you?

People will not care what you know until they know that you care.

Leadership Beneath the Surface

This is why mastering leadership techniques can fall short. Active listening. Reflective listening. Patience with silence. All of these skills are good. Necessary, even.

But the motivational current underneath the listening skill will be felt by the team. For better and worse.

That current will influence a culture among the team that will carry it in one direction or another. Regardless of how things look on the surface.

Emotional health, trust, and vulnerability cannot be cultivated by outward skill.

As the captain of a boat, there are times when I need to give commands. Even in rapid order. That’s ok – if my crew knows that I care about them. They’ll be more likely to absorb hard coaching if they know that I have their best interest in mind.

But if I bark out the best orders to chart the safest and most efficient course all the while being irritated or annoyed by my crew, they’ll feel it.

And eventually, they’ll jump ship.

Running with the Wind

Acquiring listening skills is easy. Cultivating emotional health is hard.

At first.

But when you genuinely care about the people in your life, the people on your team, you will want to listen. You will yearn to understand. You will desire to know how you can be supportive so that they can flourish.

When that is your motivation, the skills will come easily.

Especially listening.

Actively listening while not actually caring is like trying to sail without wind.

Hoist the sail, direct the rudder, strive with all your might. You’re not going to get far.

When the wind is blowing, though, and you have the tools and the team to harness its energy, magic happens.

Building a Winning Team

What is the “win” for your team? Revenue? Platform? Contracts?

Wherever you are going, the best way to get there is with a healthy team who knows they are cared for.

A recent study by the University of Warwick found that happiness led to a 12% spike in productivity, while unhappy workers proved 10% less productive.

As the research team put it, “We find that human happiness has large and positive causal effects on productivity. Positive emotions appear to invigorate human beings.”

At the Harvard Business Review, Emma Seppälä and Kim Cameron, studying numerous sources concluded this:

“A positive workplace is more successful over time because it increases positive emotions and well-being. This, in turn, improves people’s relationships with each other and amplifies their abilities and their creativity.

It buffers against negative experiences such as stress, thus improving employees’ ability to bounce back from challenges and difficulties while bolstering their health. And, it attracts employees, making them more loyal to the leader and to the organization as well as bringing out their best strengths.”

The evidence is staggering. No doubt it matches your personal experience. When you feel cared for, trust your leaders, and get along with your team – you perform better.

Let’s Set Sail Together

At Full Sail Leadership Academy, we are equipped to support you as you navigate these waters. Reach out today for a free 30-minute consultation and learn how we can help you sail to a brighter future.

If you listen, you’ll hear the wind picking up. Let us help you hone the skills you need so that you can capitalize on the opportunity on the horizon.

February 2, 2022/by Tim Dittloff

The Secrets to Building Resilience in the Workplace

Team Building

5 min read

Resilience (noun):

/rəˈzilyəns/

The capacity to quickly recover from difficulties; toughness. (Oxford Languages)

In psychology, resilience refers to our ability to cope with mentally or emotionally challenging situations and swiftly return to our pre-crisis mental equilibrium.

Resiliency is an acquired skill – it’s not something anyone is born with. I would even argue that those who seem born into mental toughness are simply bottling their fears and emotions.

Instead, resiliency is something we build within ourselves as a response to crisis and hardship.

We’ve all had a task we put off for weeks because even thinking about it made us anxious. Once we finally commit to the task, we realize it wasn’t as stressful as we imagined. Next time, we jump into the same task head-on.

As a sailing instructor, I get to witness this process of resilience-building in newbie sailors on the open water.

High winds, choppy waters, and extreme heeling of the boat are frightening experiences for new sailors. Just imagine the fear and panic you would feel yourself.

For me, however, I find such conditions exhilarating, comforting even. That’s because as an experienced instructor, I have the trust, knowledge, and ability needed to manage the situation mentally and emotionally – I have resilience.

Building such resilience in the workplace is key to traversing the inevitable rocky waters every company faces. It’s how you learn from crisis and grow.

The 7 Cs of Resilience in the Workplace

Over the years, I’ve learned that the high seas are the best place for building resilience. Sailing creates a situation where we face the perfect ratio of factors in and out of our control.

Specifically, sailing instills seven critical components of resilience:

Control
Competence
Coping
Confidence
Connection
Character
Contribution

A large part of resilience comes from understanding what we can and can’t control. For things we can’t control, we must trust the boat’s design, our crew, and God.

For things under our control, we must remain calm to make competent decisions and keep everyone safe. We must stay confident in our ability to cope with strength and dignity.

We need to uphold our own positive character and contribute to the team to the best of our individual abilities. Part of character also requires understanding each crew member’s unique character, contribution, and confidence.

Building Resilience in the Workplace by Weathering the Storm

Resilience isn’t something you can learn from a book or inspirational speeches. Resilience only comes from personal or collective experiences.

It’s so easy to judge people for making the “wrong” decisions in frightening situations. “How could they have done X? I would have done Y if I were in their shoes!”

The truth is that we never know for certain how we would react to a situation until we face it ourselves.

Every year, dozens of sailors decide to put themselves in crisis by signing up for the HOOK Race. Non-sailors would consider the HOOK Race a nightmare: It takes you over the relentless waters of Lake Michigan and Green Bay, through Death’s Door, and around Wisconsin’s treacherous Washington Island and Door Peninsula.

As the name implies, Death’s Door is no joke, even for the most experienced sailors. The hazardous conditions in this part of Green Bay have put hundreds of vessels out of commission – especially sailboats.

Death’s Door unique combination of wind direction, water currents, and rocks makes it the ultimate nightmare or exciting challenge depending on how you look at it.

This year’s HOOK Race was one of the most relentless ones yet. We faced wind speeds of nearly 65mph, torrential rains, thunder, and lightning. Winds tore the masts off seven boats and ripped the ails to shreds on several other boats.

Our boat made it to the end, so our resilience grew.

Every sailor who’s finished HOOK Race knows that once they’ve finished it, they have the resilience to take on anything – especially as a team. They walk away from the experience confident and armed with the coping tools they need.

Resilience and Mental Toughness Keep Us Focused

No one wants to hear this, but your team must face crises and emergencies if you want to build the mental toughness, character, and confidence needed to persevere.

It’s not what you go through but how you handle it and respond.

People who have experienced crises in life and subsequently spent time in therapy will often say they feel prepared to handle anything life throws at them. Although they wouldn’t repeat the crisis if they had the chance, they’ll say the crisis made them who they are today.

Every organization needs to learn mental toughness and resilience across the workplace. On one hand, this is harder than responding to individual crises because you must build resilience in multiple people simultaneously.

On the other hand, everyone knows it’s much easier to cope with a crisis when you have a supportive circle around you.

The Qualities Every Team Needs to Build Resilience in the Workplace

Today’s workplaces don’t prioritize resilience-building. Instead, workplaces run on fear.

Read between the lines a bit and you’ll see fear lurking around every corner at most companies. Fear of economic turbulence. Fear of making a mistake. Fear of being reprimanded, demoted, or fired. Fear of losing benefits. Fear of fellow workers. Fear of leadership.

We already know fear is a horrible motivator in other aspects of life – it drives us to make irrational decisions, react without thinking things through, lash out in anger, and isolate.

Why then do we still allow fear to run our corporate life?

To build resilience in the workplace, teams need an environment free of fear where the following conditions are met:

Teams should uplift everyone’s strengths instead of focusing on their weaknesses.
Individuals should feel responsible for the organization’s well-being and share praise during growth.
People must be held accountable for their actions – both good and bad.
Employees must feel respected enough to speak up when something’s not right or could be improved.
Workers must trust that they won’t be punished for certain mistakes – don’t create a culture of tattletales.

These qualities are the secret to a resilient workplace that keeps them focused on the vision. Resilient workplaces have the coping tools and mental toughness to respond to crises swiftly and shrewdly. With this type of support, a crisis goes from devastating to a small blip in operations.

Tackle Uncertainty Head-On with Effective Leadership

Resilience in the workplace and mental toughness comes from the top down. It’s your responsibility as a leader to build a culture of respect, trust, and honesty.

Approach leadership from more of a caretaker role – just like a captain at sea.

It’s the captain’s job to make sure his crew is fed, safe, connected, respected, and inspired. Today’s corporate leaders must prioritize the emotional and mental wellbeing of their team if they want to succeed.

Once a team’s well-being improves, job performance increases and everything falls into place. Then you’ll have a resilient team ready for the next challenge.

Build a Resilient Team on the Open Sea

Don’t wait for an emergency to analyze the resilience of your team. Start building mental toughness and support for the next challenge today on the high seas. Our sailing workshops provide the perfect challenge for teams to communicate and support each other.

Browse the Full Sail Leadership workshop schedule now!

December 11, 2020/by Tim Dittloff

7 Strategies for Overcoming Fear in the Workplace

Team Building

Photo by niklas_hamann on Unsplash

5 min read

What is fear? What am I afraid of?

Most people have no trouble naming their obvious fears like public speaking, spiders, or standing too close to the edge of tall buildings.

But what about all the fears we don’t notice? Those are the fears that wreak havoc across our lives.

Fear of success, failure, commitment, change, the unknown.

Overcoming fear in the workplace is critical for creating a growth-centric environment where trust, communication, and strength thrive.

Perhaps that’s why we focus so much on the obvious fears like snakes and spiders. They’re easy to avoid and don’t require serious self-reflection.

I believe the most successful people have a special skill for finding, embracing, and challenging their fears. That’s one thing that sets them apart from everyone else.

7 Strategies for Overcoming Fear in the Workplace and Building Sustainable Success

In all my years on the water, I’ve noticed a sailor’s success hinges on his or her relationship and reaction to fear.

If a skipper is afraid of the waves, wind, and speed, everything will go wrong that possibly can. On the open seas, that’s not the situation you want to be in.

However, if that same skipper looks fear in the eyes and embraces the uncertainty for what it is, he can seamlessly adapt in challenging situations and overcome obstacles. That’s where true success lies.

The same principles for overcoming fear in sailing apply to the workplace beautifully.

1. Think of Yourself as a Steward

As John Maxwell once said, “Anyone can steer a ship, but it takes a leader to chart the course.”

My question to you is, are you charting the course or just steering the ship? Overcoming fear in the workplace starts with those in leadership roles.

I recommend all executives start thinking of themselves as stewards rather than business leaders. A steward functions as a caretaker. They make sure everyone on the ship is heard, motivated, fed, and encouraged.

We’ve all seen over the past few months that our environment can change in an instant. We can’t commit to the unstable world around us, but we can commit to each other. Removing fear starts with proper leadership.

2. Build Trust Across the Team

You absolutely cannot overcome fear in the workplace without trust.

No one wants to wind up on a boat where they can’t trust their fellow sailors. I’ve seen sailors break parts of a ship and shift the blame to someone else. It’s not pretty.

When a team suffers from trust issues, people live in constant fear. People can’t allow themselves to feel vulnerable, so they never speak up – even when they absolutely should!

Distrust on a team is like a windshield crack: Once it appears, it continues to spread. It makes people fearful and deteriorates morale. No relationship can succeed without trust, and teams are no different.

People need to feel respected and understood before they can trust anyone.

3. Lead with Strengths, Not Weaknesses

Everyone fears performance reviews – and why shouldn’t they? Who wants to sit down with the boss just to be reminded of their biggest weaknesses and failures?

In any relationship, highlighting someone’s shortcomings breeds distrust and chronic fear.

I recommend overcoming fear in the workplace through strength-based leadership. When each worker focuses on improving their own strengths during normal conditions, they’ll tap into those strengths when the waters get rocky.

Build trust by praising everyone’s strengths. Constantly reminding people of ways they fall short promotes nothing but fear.

4. Use Positive Conflict as Opportunities for Growth

Most people fear conflict. It makes sense: We’re conditioned to believe that conflict is always negative and riddled with aggression.

It doesn’t have to be that way, though. In fact, positive conflict is vital for learning, adapting, and growing.

In my experience, the most successful sailing crews openly debate diverse ways of racing a regatta without fearing an adverse reaction. The key element here is trust.

When teams don’t trust each other, conflict is always negative. Resentment builds, workers disengage, the mission all but vanishes, and turnover rates skyrocket.

5. Make Sure Everyone is Committed to the Goal

A lack of commitment to the organization’s shared goal is a structural issue. If we don’t address the structural issue, it impacts every aspect of operations.

Take sailing, would you want to board a ship where the entire crew isn’t committed to the goal of sailing safely and reaching your destination by any means necessary? If even one crew member lacks commitment, that puts everyone aboard the ship in danger!

Every worker needs to know others have their back in times of uncertainty and chaos. Otherwise, they operate in constant fear of failure.

In many cases, this type of fear must first be addressed in leadership by reevaluating the mission, culture, and onboarding process.

6. Encourage Everyone to Hold Others Accountable – Respectfully

Ever wonder why people who stick with AA or other group counseling program are successful in their goal to avoid alcohol or substance issues while others can’t manage more than a few days? It’s not the program itself; it’s the peer accountability.

Peer pressure can be positive or negative. When we surround ourselves with people who challenge us to do better and hold us accountable for our actions, we strive to meet their expectations.

Respect and support are key here. We must hold each other accountable, but with understanding.

Holding each other accountable encourages everyone to harness the fear of letting people down and channel it into something incredible.

7. Create a Positive Feedback Loop

It’s never been easier to focus on an organization’s failures: missed sales goals, shrinking markets, decreased demand. Every quarter and end of the fiscal year, workers hear about all the ways they failed over the past few months.

Seeing business growth in black and white creates a negative feedback loop that provides the perfect environment for fear to thrive. Behind every individual failure on paper, you’ll find a dozen people who tried their best.

Overcoming fear in the workplace requires a positive feedback loop instead.

When people can see and enjoy the results of their labor, they feel encouraged to continue the work. Positive reinforcement pushes people to outdo themselves time and time again for the greater good.

The only thing more frightening than letting yourself down is letting down an entire company. Rewarding and praising teams for a job well done and recognizing their work is critical for creating a fearless culture.

Build a Team That Runs Full Sail

An engaged and dependable team starts with leadership. As the captain of your ship, it’s your responsibility to chart the course, lead by example, and change course when the winds shift and throw you off course.

Full Sail Leadership helps you create a company culture of trust, respect, and commitment through team building. A growth-centric culture requires structural change – not one-off teambuilding retreats.

Read more about how sailing out on the open water is just what your team needs for overcoming fear, building trust, and promoting strong leadership.

August 7, 2020/by Tim Dittloff