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Getting Out of Your Comfort Zone... Quickly
Everyone has a comfort zone. For example, most people enjoy talking to a group of friends but the thought of public speaking makes them uneasy. The moment most people leave their comfort zone, they experience discomfort. The instinct when you feel discomfort is to pull back. I am suggesting that it is important to face your fears, and accept or even embrace new challenges. When a co-worker says: “I’m happy the way things are” he or she is rejecting a universal truth. That truth is this: Everything and everyone is either growing or decaying; there is no standing still.
Also, the status quo is never good enough in business. Individuals are not hired to safeguard the status quo. They are hired to improve it. How? By reducing costs, or shortening turn around times, or increasing the value added component of what they do, or by reducing errors, or by improving customer satisfaction. This implies that if credit professionals do not push themselves to improve on what has happened in the past, they will almost certainly fall behind. Not convinced? Then ask yourself if it is (a) likely or (b) extremely unlikely that your company's competitors are happy with the status quo. If the answer is (b), then your competitors are looking for ways to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the credit and collection function - even if this requires the entire credit department team to leave their comfort zones and consider other tools, techniques, ideas, options, and technology to do the job better, faster and cheaper.
The key to personal growth and increasing success is a willingness to step outside of one's comfort zone. Virtually everyone enjoys the feeling they get when leaving their comfort zone results in success. We rarely admit to ourselves that the real consequences of failure are usually inconsequential and short-lived. It is obvious that enlarging one's comfort zones pays off in many aspects of life, but it is often not as apparent that taking even small steps can sometimes yield big rewards. I understand why people prefer stability and predictability, but consider these points:
- The great thing about ones comfort zones is that they expand with each step you take.
- The path of least resistance is as a follower, not a leader. Therefore, the question is whether your goal is to become a leader or remain a follower.
- The good news about conform zones is that you can break out at any time and at your own pace. If you’re interested in doing so, take one step today – and possibly another one tomorrow?
© 2011 by Michael C. Dennis. All Rights Reserved. Michael C. Dennis is the author of "1001 Collection Tools and Tips." His website is at www.coveringcredit.com