How to Move Forward When You Feel Frozen

Fear manifests itself in many ways in corporate corridors and virtual channels. Alarm paralyzes us and leads to counterproductive behavior. We are postponing action because we are afraid of making things worse. We focus on short-term needs because we don’t want to face the future.

To move from paralysis to action, consider four changes that can help you face fear. First, shift your mindset from scarcity to abundance by identifying resources that are both limited and available. Second: transition from closing to opening; Find ways to involve new people through gradual exposure. Third, take small steps forward to unlock yourself. Identify one step at a time to move. Finally face your fears. Block 15 minutes on your calendar to name your fear and consider best and worst case scenarios.

Leaders and managers are tasked with juggling increasing market and workforce pressures, managing a hybrid workplace, addressing challenges like global warming through workplace strategies, and surviving in the face of uncertainty. In addition, the increase in social and political unrest and violence means that the concerns of the world are affecting their employees in a variety of ways.

Given the stress of this pressure, almost every executive coaching conversation I have right now reveals a common feeling that rises to the surface: fear.

Fear paralyzes us and leads to counterproductive behavior. We are postponing action because we are afraid of making things worse. We focus on short-term needs because we don’t want to face the future. These actions allow us to hide from our true feelings.

One thing these fear reactions have in common is that they are prescient: we are afraid of what is about to happen. Our minds struggle with the unknown and we fill in the blanks with dire results. We tell ourselves that we are better prepared if we anticipate the worst, when in fact our bleak prognosis encourages us to shrink from bold moves.

Fear manifests itself in many ways in corporate corridors and virtual channels. For example, many companies are preparing for continued economic uncertainty by tightening compensation. Managers are reluctant to give harsh feedback for fear that overworked employees will flee. Individuals remain frozen in their existing processes and routines, too afraid to offer up bold ideas because uncertainty about the future scares them to think big. Others flatter their peers and managers because disagreements might single them out for criticism or worse repercussions.

In my conversations with clients, we have developed four approaches to confronting and addressing the manifestations of anxiety in the workplace so they can move from paralysis to action.

From lack to abundance.

Many managers are afraid that it won’t be enough: too few employees, customers, money, fill the gap. As a result, they tighten belts and suppress innovation. A scarcity mentality inhibits expansive, innovative thinking.

To combat this type of anxiety, try this exercise. Create two columns on a piece of paper. In a column, list the items that are shrinking or in short supply, e.g. B. budget cuts and turnover figures. In the second column, list the items that are stable, such as B. the strengths of your team or existing infrastructure and processes that you use. This exercise visibly contrasts fears and facts. What evidence do you have of scarcity and where did you find abundance?

From closing to opening.

Remote work has broadened our horizons and enabled global collaboration. Unfortunately, because collaborating across locations—often asynchronously—can be more time-consuming and intense than working in person, it’s easy for us to prioritize our relationships with those with whom we work most closely. This inward focus keeps us from capitalizing on the opportunity of remote work for diversity.

Many of my clients say their hybrid environments have led to localization, shrinking the boundaries in which they work and travel. They’ve also become more specific about who they interact with. For example, given the spate of back-to-back video calls, one of my clients only sees those she works with directly. For teams that are outside of her time zone or not directly involved, she requests updates about teams instead of speaking to them in real time. This is true for several clients whose meetings tend to be limited to those they work with on a daily basis.

But an inward focus also breeds fear of the outside, of the less familiar or familiar. To counteract this, consider gradual exposure. What’s one thing you can do this week to go beyond your usual limits? If you’re concerned about how the design team might react to your technical decision, could you invite a member of the design team to video chat over tea or coffee and find out how they feel about adjustments to your feature change? Experiment with where you can include a different person or two here and there to expand your range of interaction.

From freezing to moving.

When we fear consequences, we may think that no action is best. But not making a choice is a choice in itself. If Stasis impedes progress, movement unlocks it. Start small. Instead of ignoring the prompts to make a decision, allocate resources, or start a project, identify a next step to move forward. For example, you can survey half a dozen customers about how they use your product to get more information about the way forward.

You can also try this exercise: Let’s say you are paralyzed by the fear of disappointing someone or creating conflict over a particular project. On a scale of 1 to 5 (where 1 is disagreeing and 5 is very agreeable), for each stakeholder group, note the degree to which they agree with your vision. By seeing the numbers listed, you can then determine the right time to loop in. Someone with a very low number would deserve a one-on-one interview so he doesn’t cast doubt on the whole group. Someone with a higher (but not super high) number might be better approached in the group to fill in gaps where others might be similarly confused. You may find that there is more of a match than you thought, discover people to ally with to mobilize adversaries, or find that you are the one who, faced with the vast disparity between the perspectives of others and yours, is you need to change your mind. At this point you can figure out the next step.

From frenzied to our fears.

When we’re afraid, we may create a frantic list of activities to avoid facing our fear. Never before have we had to be so diligent in responding to every email, Slack, text, or meeting invite. The more afraid we are, the more we withdraw from what scares us, believing we are too busy to address it.

Instead, block 15 minutes on your calendar to finish all the messages and busy work. Name the perceived nemesis you avoid. Write down three columns: the worst-case scenario, the current situation, and the best possible outcome. Then identify what would need to happen to lead to each possibility. For example, complete failure could mean losing a regular customer and a cascade of customers leaving the company. Wild success would be increasing marquee customers by 50%. The current situation is a great customer and two on life support. As you write details under each column, you might find that your worst case scenario is far more likely if you stick with your current decisions than if you mobilized your team in a different direction.

. . .

Anticipation anxiety increases the likelihood that our dire predictions will come true. It robs us of the present and the choices we could make to carve out a better version of our work and ourselves. Instead of staying put, adopt strategies to look forward to—and shape—the future.