3 Ways Your Comfort Zone Is Costing You At Work

In the world of money, sometimes inaction (e.g., staying the course when it comes to your investments) can be the smart move to make. But in the world of work — whether you're asking for more money, raising your hand to take on added responsibility, or bumping up your contribution to the company retirement plan — sitting on your hands can be much more detrimental. I talked through those scenarios with Karen Finerman of CNBC’s Fast Money on my new podcast, HerMoney with Jean Chatzky. 

“I think a mistake that women make is they underestimate the risk of doing nothing,” she says. “There’s risk in doing nothing. I know they don’t want to make a bad move or the wrong move… The idea of ‘What if I’m wrong?’ is paralyzing. And you’re better off being somewhat wrong a lot of times.”  

Here are three scenarios in which doing nothing could hurt you at work — and the actions you should consider taking instead. 

Not Taking On More Responsibility. 

I've found through my career — and many of my friends echo this realization — that sometimes you have to step up and do that next job before you're actually given that next job. By pointing to your achievements, you have built-in talking points for your next negotiation, whether you're asking for flexibility or a bump in pay. It's also (thanks Lin-Manuel Miranda) a charge to be "in the room where it happens." The closer you get to the power center, the more fun I've found that work becomes and the less it (always) feels like work. 

Not Asking For A Raise.

Doing nothing is definitely easier when it comes to the question of whether or not to ask for a raise, but if you don’t ask, there likely won’t be any extra money coming your way. According to CareerBuilder.com, 56% of people have never asked for a raise. So how do you get started? Do your research. Check sites like GlassDoor.com to figure out what employees with similar credentials are paid; document how you’ve added to the company, whether it be growing the online audience or increased sales; and make sure to ask at the right time (when the next annual budget is being evaluated). And if you’re still unhappy with your salary…

Not Keeping An Eye On The Horizon. 

Try not to get too comfortable with a job, no matter how long you’ve been there. Marketing yourself, networking and bolstering your portfolio and online presence are just as important when you’re not actively on the job hunt — because when you do find yourself searching for a new opportunity, you’ll be much more confident and ready to launch.  

With Hayden Field