Seven signs that tell if you work in fear-based climate

Afraid of interacting with your boss or think that you’ll soon be fired? Well, these are signs that you are working in a 'fear-based' climate. Read on for more such signs.

Afraid of interacting with your boss or think that you’ll soon be fired? Well, these are signs that you are working in a 'fear-based' climate.

And Bloomberg Businessweek has now revealed more such signs to look out for:

1. It’s all about image
You stay late at office or look busy and productive just so that your boss notices you. Another sign of an "all-about-image" office: if you notice that brown-nosers who aren’t necessarily the best at their jobs but who suck up to the managers constantly are getting promoted.

2. Office gossip focuses on employees’ status
If all you can talk about is who’s getting promoted and who’s taking peanuts home, reports The New York Daily News.

3. Suspicion permeates the culture
If people are constantly worried about being lied to or stabbed in the back, or they’re concerned about sharing ideas for fear that another worker will steal them.

4. Metrics are king
When management is obsessed with numbers - and few if any other markers of employee performance – fear likely dominates the office. 5. There are countless rules and procedures

If your employee handbook is loaded with more rules, guidelines and procedures than you can even count, the office culture is likely one of fear. The employer does not trust you to do the right thing, so instead dictates to you how to act.

7. Managers use fear to get what they want
Whether through subtle hints and threats or outright announcements (anyone who doesn’t perform will get fired!), if your managers say and do things to instil fear in their employees, you’re in a fear-based office.