Leaders: Beware the 4 Hidden "Jobs" Funded By Anxiety

Recently, I’ve been feeling a buttload of anxiety.

Nothing is particularly wrong. I’m just writing a book. Writing is challenging. It makes me anxious. As a wise friend recently reminded me:

Work Causes Anxiety.

If you don’t believe me, try this:

Imagine that your ultimate dream job, the promotion that you have been steadily working towards, or whatever the next level is for you, is yours, and you're starting tomorrow. Uh huh. Excitement, yes. But also, butterflies, nervousness, maybe even terror.

Anxiety: I define it as experiencing two distinct feelings at once (e.g. excited and afraid; nervous and resentful, etc.). It's a natural response to feeling pressure.

As I’ve been coping with my anxiety about writing and watching the many creative ways I avoid it, I’ve been listening to leaders I work with talk about how anxiety shows up in the workplace.

What happens to the people you work with when they encounter work anxiety?

Beyond Procrastination

When people are under the gun, unless they are super clear on what their job is, they may unconsciously resort to four main default "jobs," while what they are actually contracted to do takes a close, sometimes distant second.

If you are in a leadership position as an executive, manager or even in a coaching role, and you are not too consumed by your own anxiety, you will likely notice some of the following behavior patterns erupting from your employees, clients or teammates when the pressure mounts.

Four "Jobs" for Which Anxiety Writes the Paycheck

1) Competitor:

Have you ever been shocked to see people go at each other in meetings when heated debates were the last thing there was really time for? Or been side-swiped by hostile questions in the middle of group sessions you think are going well? What about that ambitious employee who is suddenly telling the others what to do when that's your job?

When things are on the cusp of true change, or during phases of enormous organizational growth, it's common for people to manage their unconscious anxiety by competing with the leader, or each other. Rather than getting down to work, they decide it's time to get down on the battlefield.

2) Chief of Staff:

This one is always fun: When a client, employee or team member decides that his or her real job is to tell you how to do your job. “You really needed to tell us in advance we were going to have to stay late this week!” as if you could have known. “You know, I think it would be better if you organize the meetings in this way . . .”

This is not just a matter of feedback, which you, no doubt, as a well-schooled leader, try to be open to. As you are listening to their suggestions, it becomes clear that the content is of no real value, and they seem to have one complaint after another. This is because they are avoiding their work by telling you how to do yours.

3) Helpless Babe:

When you feel so swamped with putting out fires that you can’t get your work done, or when a client or teammate is asking you way more questions than they normally do — way more questions than seems necessary — this is when an employee or client manages their anxiety by deciding that it's your job to take care of them, or at least it's their job to try to get you to. All of sudden it can appear like competency goes out the window; personal issues become paramount, and there are lots of pressing matters that they really need to talk to you about, right now.

4) Caregiver:

Sometimes, when the heat is on, the players decide that their most important job is to take care of you. They are so kind!!! So considerate to suspend their work in the middle of it all to think of your wellbeing! "You must be stressed, can I book you an appointment with my massage therapist — he's great!” “You probably need a break, don't you?" "Hey we know things are intense right now, so we brought you a candy bar!"

And you're a diabetic.

These behaviors as isolated incidents are not problematic, it's when they are chronic and stress related that you as a leader want to keep an eye on them.

Paying attention to what happens to others during stressful times gives your leadership an advantage. Keeping these "jobs" in mind, you can better spot work anxiety (yours and theirs), and better help them with their stress — by offering them clarity, assistance, encouragement or additional skills — and then guide them back to their work.

What are some other "jobs" you've seen created by anxiety? Do share in the comments section below.

Want to learn more about how to tighten the ship when these things happen? Contact me.