There is an extreme form of the Fear of the Unknown which is a phobia called Xenophobia.
Xenophobia is when some people have irrational thoughts and beliefs about people and situations that they perceive to be strange or foreign. Essentially it is the fear of anything that is beyond their comfort zone.
Think back on your life and how often you have been faced with a challenging decision. You no doubt weighed your options, and both logic and instinct presented you with a solution. Then, you did what so many of us are guilty of doing: nothing. The fear of change not only overpowered your reasoning, it left you with a frustrating reminder when you finally did get around to making a decision.
The solution comes from your ability to stay away from solving others’ problems for them, and focusing instead on leading them to solve their own problems. People rarely look down the road at the impact of their problems; if they did, we would not have to engage in these challenging conversations. We would not have to seek someone out, set up a meeting, or plan a phone call, because those you would be aiming to influence would be calling you. There is a solution. If you want to defuse fear of change, it all hinges on your ability to embrace the skills of influence. You don’t need to apologize or excuse yourself for leading someone on a path of change.
Click here to find out how to overcome the fear of Unknown.