What to Do When Fear Shows Up in Your Project

At any point in the life of a project, fear’s going to show up.

Someone’s gonna invite him to the party - either willingly or unwillingly. Like a bad dinner party guest, he’s going to distract your good times unless you know how to deal with him. 

You’ll see him in your stakeholder's face, nervous about whether the deadline will be met. Your team might bring him in, anxious about the feedback they’re getting from the nervous stakeholder.

You might even see him in yourself: freaking out by everyone freaking out.

So, what do you do when fear shows up? 

Graciously remind yourself and others to “trust the process.”

One of the key reasons we invite fear into our project is the feeling of being out of control. We’re afraid of certain negative outcomes, so we let fear in: waving his hands, like a mime on fire, hoping to control the outcomes. 

It never works because we control very little.

Instead, we have a process to serve as guardrails, helping us (and our fears) navigate the tunnel of chaos that inevitably ensues in any project. 

What does it mean then to trust the process?

• We start with a brief and build in appropriate timeframes to serve as our roadmap.

• We understand that the first draft of anything is not going to be great. So we give ourselves grace. 

• We know it can take several versions to get the project looking ready for primetime.

• We incorporate feedback into our workflow. 

• We pace ourselves, knowing the work is a work in progress.

Like running a marathon, taking a road trip, flying cross-country - any project is going to have highs and lows, and we’re prepared for them, mentally and with a roadmap in place. 

So, next time Fear shows up, don’t panic; instead, remind him (and yourself) to trust the process.