Mark Zuckerberg once said: “The biggest risk is not taking any risk. In a world that’s changing really quickly, the only strategy that is guaranteed to fail is not taking any risks.”
As we reflect on 2017 and set new personal expectations for the coming year, the Facebook founder’s words are well worth noting. The same applies to organisations as they review their performance and consider strategies to stay relevant amid changing business realities.
For the past year, I have touched on the topic of disruption and its critical effects on many occasions because I want to raise awareness of this issue, one that not that many people in Thailand are speaking of in depth. Disruption is here to stay; hence, it is your choice to disrupt or be disrupted.
In a world of constant change driven by digital technology, business that cannot keep up with what is going on around them will be disrupted by those that can. One of the main factors preventing many businesses from going against the tide is the comfort zone — the most dangerous place to be. So, if comfort zone is not safe, where should we be? The answer is discomfort, the area outside of the comfort zone. It’s as simple as that. And if you want to see magic happen to you in 2018, I’d suggest you embrace discomfort as your New Year Resolution.
Before discovering the new land called discomfort, let’s set clear boundaries first. According to the Cambridge Dictionary, a comfort zone is “a situation in which you feel comfortable and in which your ability and determination are not being tested”.
It sounds so good, so what’s the catch? The catch is, if you are in your comfort zone for too long, you will stop doing new things and challenging yourself. You will stop learning and growing. As evolutionary animals, that poses grave risks to our survival. So if you want to grow and survive, learn to be uncomfortable, do new things and take risks, right now. Wait longer and you will be more reluctant to leave your comfort zone, and you’ll soon be watching you competitors edge you out.
Now that you are ready to break out of your comfort zone, you might wonder where to start. You can start by taking small steps toward doing anything that makes you feel uncomfortable. Consistency is the key here.
You can start by making a list of what always makes you feel uncomfortable and then do one of those things every day until it no longer pains you. It doesn’t have to be a big thing. For instance, if talking to a stranger always makes you feel nervous, commit yourself to saying hello to a stranger you meet on the way to work or home every day. In the workplace, if you feel uncomfortable talking to your colleagues, just ask them what they’re working on right now and what you can do to help.
As a business leader, stepping out of your comfort zone is crucial to the survival of your organisation, because leading in the old way is not going to take your organisation to the next level.
Being in the discomfort zone means you innovate and take risks. If you fail, at least you learn something and reflect on those mistakes so you will not make the same mistakes twice.
David Van Rooy, senior director of international human resources strategy and operations with Walmart, once shared this insightful observation, with which I couldn’t agree more: “It is possible to be successful maintaining the status quo, but true differentiation is achievable only for those who are willing to dive into new areas.”
Also, because you are a leader in your organisation, it is your responsibility to take others with you into the land of discomfort. Engage your people to work in new ways that will create higher efficiency and more measurable impacts for the organisation.
It’s true that the discomfort zone can be anxiety-inducing, but a little anxiety can help you rise to the occasion and live up to your fullest potential, studies have found. However, too much anxiety is tension, which can affect performance and fuel employees’ resentment toward their organisation. So you want to make sure that you don’t put too much pressure on them until discomfort becomes too much to manage.
Last but not least, as we say goodbye to 2017, it’s a tradition to set goals or resolutions for the new year. To all business leaders, I challenge you to frame your resolutions around the theme of discomfort and see for yourself what magic it can do for your organisation. Don’t get too comfortable. Keep trying new things. Keep going. Keep learning, and just remember that success is waiting for you outside of your comfort zone.
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Arinya Talerngsri is Chief Capability Officer and Managing Director at SEAC (formerly APMGroup) Southeast Asia's leading executive, leadership and innovation capability development centre. She can be reached by email at arinya_t@seasiacenter.com or www.linkedin.com/in/arinya-talerngsri-53b81aa
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