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Top Career and Work-Related Fears

1. Fear of appraisals

Appraisal is that once or twice-a-year activity that we know we have to go through. It comes around far too often and it feels increasingly as if it’s just a process we have to endure rather than something that’s enjoyable or useful. There are basically three elements to an appraisal; if you think about and prepare for each element, you can make appraisals more energetic and more likely to be fun. The first element is about preparing yourself around what it is you’ve been doing in the last appraisal period. Secondly, think during the next period about what you’re going to be doing. The third thing is that in order for you to acquire growth, knowledge and training, you need to work out how you’re going to do so in the most cost-effective and useful way. If you go through the process and prepare well, you may surprise yourself and actually enjoy it. 2. Fear of Ignorance

It’s not unusual to worry that we’re going to get caught out, that our technical knowhow is not good enough for what we’re doing today, let alone what we’re doing tomorrow. It might be a new computer system or new company that you may be in touch with and the only way of overcoming this is to get more knowledge. The gap between where you are, feeling ignorant, and where you need to be is not as big as it seems—there are people around you who can help bridge that gap.

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It might mean meeting new people by ‘phoning someone you’ve never called before for help, reading around the subject by looking at government white papers on regulation or making use of some sort of online learning tool. None of those things are impossible to do; it merely requires commitment from you to do them. 3. Fear of uncertainty

Arguably, uncertainty is the most common fear for people in work. It can be caused by bosses not talking openly, often because they’re not able to or not allowed to. It could also be due to a lack of information coming from your leaders, or fear of the economic climate’s impact on your organisation. Any of these, whether they are close to you or further away macro issues, can cause you to be fearful. The best way to overcome fear of uncertainty is by being curious. Ask questions; don’t be satisfied with being fobbed off or by limited data and information. Keep going until you’re out of the place of uncertainty. Only in that space can you begin to make better decisions for yourself and the company. 4. Fear of team meetings

For some people, team meetings are terrifying for a number of reasons. Firstly, you have colleagues who are more articulate than you and who display more self-confidence than you do in a meeting. They give the impression that they know what they’re doing and they’re quick to let people know it. Also, it’s quite often the case that people attend meetings and are not prepared for them. There may be no agendas, people may be unclear on what they’re there for, and so on. To overcome this fear, be prepared and be sure to make an impact, inputting at the right time about things you’d be expected to know and speak about to your team. As a very safe strategy, you may keep within the boundaries of your knowledge, but it may be the case that you wish to raise issues on a wider team basis. If you can raise them in a way that doesn’t make anyone look silly—particularly your boss—it’s a chance for you to be seen as a team player, which is always a good thing. 5. Fear of newcomers

When someone new arrives, there’s always a change to the dynamics. They’re typically seen as a “new penny” – bright and shiny. People are curious about them and want to learn about them. They can easily become the new kid on the block. For those who’ve been around a while, it can appear quite threatening when someone arrives with new ideas and skills that make you look mediocre. One way to overcome this is to be yourself, whilst embracing, engaging and learning about your new colleague. Understand how the skills and experience they’ve had can be useful to you and the team. Taking up the position of trusted friend or mentor, with your experience, makes you feel better. This will also usually make the newcomer feel better, and will benefit the team overall.

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6. Fear of not being good enough

It’s a natural state for a human being to feel low and have low self-esteem. Not everyone can stay up and confident all of the time. You have to believe that your place in the workforce is down to you, your abilities, your personality and your skills and experience. Know that they are at least good enough and if ever you feel fearful that you are not good enough, you need to understand why. What is it that’s changed and what can you do to get out of the hole you’ve fallen into because of fear? Just remember that it’s a normal thing for us to feel. This checklist has been created by Position Ignition Ltd, one of the UK’s leading career consulting companies. Please contact enquiries@positionignition.com for more information or to suggest additional resources.