When the Harris Poll surveyed 2,442 adults ages 18 and over for Adecco USA to determine who most scares office workers, fully 34 percent of those who admitted fearing someone at work said it's the boss who most frightens them.
The 5 people who scare us most at work:
- Boss (34 percent)
- President or CEO of the company(28 percent)
- Co-worker (25 percent)
- HR representative (9 percent)
- Front desk receptionist (5 percent)
It's not just people who frighten us on the job. Sixty percent of adults who say they are scared by some aspect of their job are afraid of making a mistake, while 46 percent worry about saying the wrong thing.
What can you do if you're afraid of someone in the workplace? Bernadette Kenny, Chief Career Officer of Adecco USA advises:
Assess the situation
Ask yourself, "Why am I afraid of this person?" Determine if it's a valid reason. If it is, you may want to address it with the individual directly to try and alleviate the fear factor. Just be sure to avoid being confrontational so you can have a productive dialogue.
Managing through it on your own
If you change the way you view the feared person or change the way you interact with him, it could change the dynamic of the work relationship. For example, if you're afraid to talk to the CEO, imagine having a conversation with him. Then when you're faced with this situation in real life, it will almost feel as if you've done it before.
Involve the human resources department
If your fear is serious, especially if it's hindering your performance and causing you undue anxiety at work, you may want to consider tapping HR for guidance.
--From the Editors at Netscape
