Breaking outĪs a victim of the very same challenges that plague otherwise accomplished professionals, I wanted to figure out a solution to this challenge. In the short term, it can offer relief but the long-term effect is to increase worry and anxiety.
This is what we describe as the cycle of avoidance. This is another form of avoidance and it is usually likely to lead to a less effective outcome.
They may procrastinate or pass the buck or they may substitute something easier, like emailing potential clients instead of taking on the harder option of a face-to-face conversation. They may avoid the situation entirely, perhaps by putting off that difficult conversation, or declining the invitation for public speaking. Very experienced and successful professionals routinely struggle with situations outside their comfort zones and go to great lengths to avoid these situations, even if they are key for effective performance. The cycle of avoidanceĪs I’ve learned from the past decade of research, writing, speaking and consulting on this topic, I’m definitely not alone in wrestling with situations that take me outside my comfort zone. I have had to learn to be more direct and authoritative to project confidence in a way that isn’t necessarily my go-to demeanor. Another challenge has been public speaking. I wasn’t sure what to say, or whether what I wanted to say had any merit.
COMFORT ZONE PROFESSIONAL
In my first professional job as a professor, I was quite tentative in faculty meetings. And, to be honest, stepping outside my own comfort zone has been a challenge throughout my own career. But this is the reality at work: as we grow and learn and advance in our jobs and in our careers, we’re constantly faced with situations outside our comfort zones where we need to adapt and adjust our behavioral styles.Īs a management professor and consultant to businesses, I have seen this inability to step outside one’s comfort zone derail careers and threaten productivity. And it can be terrifying for anyone with a fear of speaking in public to step up to the platform to deliver a speech. Introverts can struggle with having to ‘schmooze,’ work a room, or pitch their products. People-pleasers often dread delivering bad news, sometimes avoiding the situation altogether because of how uncomfortable it feels. The problem, of course, is that acting outside our comfort zones can be incredibly challenging. Each of these changes comes with a ‘stretch’ in our roles and responsibilities, which forces us out of our comfort zone and poses a challenge to our skills and personalities. We’re continually changing roles: from individual performer to manager from manager to executive and from executive to chief executive. With constant change in our lives and in our organizations, that list is only going to get longer. We all face a long list of uncomfortable but necessary tasks at work. You should be more vocal about your career accomplishments, but hate to toot your own horn. You want to network more, but feel awkward striking up conversations with strangers. You know it’s time to have that uncomfortable conversation with your coworker, but you keep avoiding it. Andy Molinsky shares 3 techniques to stretch yourself for career and personal growth.
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