What we mean by comfort zone
The comfort zone is a space that is known and familiar to us, because it is where we are most of the time, and where we are in transparency with ourselves. Being within the comfort zone we move with a certain comfort, it is our status quo, and we feel relatively safe.
Although it is called "comfort zone", we are not always at ease in there, sometimes we may be suffering. This is because it is the zone where our habits and routines are (the good ones and the ones that can be improved). It is, in short, where we know what we are good at and what we are not so good at.
Comfort zone is used, in particular, to indicate a way of doing things.
When it is time to leave that comfort zone, we are held back by fear and uncertainty, by our limiting beliefs, by 'what if it doesn't work, what if we don't succeed, what if we fail'.
Fear will always appear when we leave this zone, it is a human reaction. Therefore, what we consider important is to legitimise and listen to fear so that it accompanies us and helps us not to throw ourselves off the cliff. To manage fear so that it does not block us or paralyse us.
Learning begins
The moment of stepping out of the comfort box is the turning point for learning, for development, for transformation, sometimes we step out when we need different results.
Sometimes, in order to survive in a constantly changing, transforming world, we have to be able to generate and promote a culture, values, competencies and behaviours that catalyse continuous improvement and excellence in business management. It is clear that in times of crisis, even more so.
Of course, there is the possibility of stepping out of the comfort box, even when things are going well. That is one of the characteristics of leaders. It is also our job as coaches to get people to develop skills outside their comfort box.
The key vision for moving forward
Getting out of this zone is not enough to change a company or a business. This action must be accompanied by certain strategies.
The first is to declare the VisionA vision to achieve extra-ordinary results, a vision shared with the entire organisation, when it is at the company level, where sufficient space is created for everyone to align and commit to it.
The second is to establish an action plan where we can direct and focus all our efforts and resources, and which serves as a roadmap for the way forward. What drives great social advances, companies, people, is to declare a vision that pulls us strongly, that gives us meaning, that connects us, that makes us act in pursuit of that vision, and that requires leaving the comfort zone.
When we do not declare the future we want, we leave it to others and/or circumstances to determine our destiny.
Get out of this zone and let organisational and personal learning, development, innovation, a culture based on excellence with a capital 'A' and, above all, extraordinary results.
