Your Comfort Zone is Someone Else's Scary Place


You have to remind yourself that what seems easy for you, can be a real difficult stretch for someone else. If you don't, you'll misunderstand other people's reluctance to do things that seem like a no-brainer.

If I forgot the first awkward days of insecurity and nervousness about networking with complete strangers I wouldn't be able to encourage and reassure new networkers. Instead I might look down on them or dismiss as being stupid or unmotivated.


Here's an example. Occasionally I run into someone who says they don't like networking because other people try to sell, or don't have good conversational skills, or who commit any other number of networking "sins." I try to remind that person that not everyone is a skilled networker. They need to try to gently guide them toward good networking, instead of writing off an entire business-building strategy because they think other people aren't good enough. Plus, that's another example of a comfort zone: only wanting to network with people who are at the same skill level they are.

Have a little compassion. Think of the things you're not good at where other people have to be patient with you. Now, apply that to those who are brave enough to get out of their comfort zone, but aren't yet skilled.

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