“Life Begins at the End of Our Comfort Zone.”

Recently I saw an advertisement of a recruitment agency that stated a quote from Neale Donald Walsch “Life begins at the end of our comfort zone.”

Although I believe this statement is very true, certainly when it comes to developing and growing one’s talents, it made me think about how organizations hire talent currently. And unfortunately todays hiring strategies usually do not align with hiring outside any comfort zone.

Companies and organizations change fast nowadays. Disruptive innovations and new business models arise, which requires people’s adaptability, learning ability and new ways of thinking.

In order for any organization to innovate, grow and flourish, it is the people that make the difference. Motivated people with a different skillset – grown outside their comfort zone - become key in performance on high levels.

For any individual person, true growth, innovation and development occur when someone is willing to embrace discomfort, and vulnerability, as Professor Brené Brown says.

Stepping out of our comfort zone might involve pursuing new skills, taking on challenging projects, or engaging in opportunities or experiences that stretch beyond what feels comfortable. Facing new challenges head-on can lead to greater resilience, creativity, and personal fulfillment.

And Angela Duckworth, a psychologist known for her research on grit and perseverance, emphasizes that staying within one's comfort zone can lead to stagnation and limited progress. She advocates for embracing challenges, taking risks, and being willing to fail in order to learn and grow.

By venturing outside their comfort zones, people discover new skills, talents, and capabilities that they may not have realized they possessed. Stepping outside one's comfort zone can lead to new experiences, insights, and opportunities for learning and improvement. Great achievements often require pushing past obstacles and exploring new territory.

As it's the people who think and act different that make organizations innovate and flourish, it is unfortunate that Managers too often hire based on someone’s previous experience on paper, and ideally a 100% CV fit with their open vacancy.

Which contradicts the vision of? ‘Life Begins at the End of Our Comfort Zone’. Which means hiring motivated people with a different skillset and good potential, who will become the high performers. Which is what organizations need today.

Dear Manager, I challenge you to step outside your comfort zone and dare to hire different! I truly believe this is a small risk worth taking.

I wish you Happy Hiring, Marilyn Burgersdijk