October 25, 2012 ISSN# 1545-2646
Comfort Zone
We have all heard the commercials about the sleep number bed system where the bed is adjusted to a specific hardness for you to get the best possible sleep. It is also adjustable by which side of the bed so that two different people could have two different settings.
Well comfort setting are not limited to sleep. In the work setting, each employee has their own number as to where their comfort zone is in the role they have in the organization. It might even be different numbers depending on the activity they are involved with in their role.
For example a newer manager could be very comfortable in giving direction and identifying the staff responsible to complete specific goals and objectives but when it comes to dealing with the lack of results they get very timid and avoid the confrontation. It is not that they dont know what or how to do it. They just are not comfortable in executing the activity. It could be do to a lack of real life situations by which they turn theoretical knowledge into practical implementation.
This comfort zone challenge is not limited to new or senior managers. It impacts everyone at some time during their career. To some it is minor and simply a blip on their development course. For others it can sometimes be so significant that it puts them into a state of freezing up.
As leaders it is our responsibility to be observing these types of situations and lending a mentoring or coaching hand. Sometimes the comfort zone is packed with challenges due to anxiety. That anxiety can come from many places. As already highlighted, sometimes it is simply not having done something previous that has the comfort zone uneasy. In other situations it is being too over critical of making a mistake that the positive energy is stifled and presents itself as not engaging.
This week, keep your eyes wide open and look for those employees that could use a helping hand to assist them in navigating through one comfort level to the next. Find out what number they are at and help them get a better nights rest by adjusting their in office comfort number to a value which not only make them feel better but makes them a more complete contributor.
What is your comfort number? Give JKL Associates a call at (313) 527-7945 or send us an email.
Questions or comments – email us at partners@jklassociates.com or call our Office at (313) 527-7945
Copyright – JKL Associates 2012
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