Fear is a cloud hanging over many organizations as we leave -- hopefully -- the worst of this Great Disruption behind us. Fear about whether the job will still be there. Fear about new terrorist threats that threaten the western economies. Fear about global warming. Pick your favourite fear to focus on.

Anxiety floats like a cold, damp cloud over many people's lives. It is estimated that about 10-15% of the workforce is feeling ongoing disturbing anxiety. Anxiety costs companies billions of dollars each year in sick time, poor performance and the numbing effects of drugs -- both prescribed and illegal.

Anxiety is a "normal" response to ongoing stress. It is a coping mechanism with which one attempts to achieve a sense of equilibrium while being awash in fear.

But when anxiety becomes an overwhelming, irrational dread of daily situations, it becomes partially disabling for many people. They are operating at 30-60% capacity.

Uncertainty builds as one accumulates the effects of fear and anxiety. Imagine you are driving in a heavy, fog, unable to see past the hood of your car. You cannot get your bearings. You are not sure whether you will stay on the road or mash into something. You start slowing down in an attempt to figure out where you are. Your decision-making capabilities are pretty much disabled because you lack your usual reference points.

Now imagine your sense of relief when the fog suddenly clears and you're in bright sunshine. Everything looks regular again. Your uncertainty is gone. You can relax, step on the gas to get to your destination.

Doubt is the long-term accumulation of fear, anxiety and uncertainty. It creeps into our night time sleep and causes us to question who we are, what we're doing and why we are doing it. Momentary doubt is a good thing. It keeps us in contact with reality and our humanness.

Long-term doubt blinds us to our values, our vision and our mission. We become immobilized without clear purpose. Doubt is the stage fright of life.

How to manage people in these times of fear, anxiety, uncertainty and doubt.

1. Wise, experienced managers get together with other experienced managers on a weekly or daily basis to gain support and perspective. They invite in younger managers who can learn from the more experienced managers. One key management tool is perspective -- keeping true to the values and vision while all others feel lost.
2. In these times managers must pull together their employees on a daily basis to have them check in and mark little chunks of progress. The job of a manager, in these daily check-in is to give people perspective. The message is:

"Yes, times are tough. Yes, we don't really know what's going to happen. But by keep doing the little things on a day-to-day to we will stay focused. The fog will clear. Stay the course."

The antidote to fear, anxiety, uncertainty and doubt is-

* Competence;

* Acting courageously on our personal and business values; and...