Page 13 - KZN Business Sense - Hantie Plomp

THE COMFORT ZONE:

A BUSINESS OWNER’S BEST FRIEND OR WORST ENEMY?

Anneme Coetzee, CEO, a comfort zone, and how can we 2. Avoiding discomfort: of anxiety and stress, making it empower them to reach their full
NLP Master Trainer break free from it? Preferring easy and difficult for individuals to adapt potential?
predictable activities and and thrive in new environments. One solution could be to
hat is the How Does the Comfort Zone avoiding pain or discomfort. create a culture of continuous
Comfort Affect Business Results? 3. Rigid routine: Having a rigid 3. Lack of self-confidence: learning and development,
WZone? The comfort zone can have both daily routine that rarely changes. Individuals may doubt their where employees are encouraged
positive and negative impacts on abilities or skills, leading to
The comfort zone 4. Lack of excitement for a reluctance to take on new to take on new challenges and
is a psychological business results. On the one hand, learning new skills: Feeling challenges or try new activities. expand their skill sets. This could
state where a it can lead to increased productivity uninterested or unmotivated involve providing training and
and efficiency, as employees feel
person feels safe, comfortable and secure in their to learn new skills or take on 4. Resistance to change: development opportunities, as
secure, and in new challenges. well as creating a supportive
control. It is roles. On the other hand, it can 5. Flatlining results: People who are comfortable in environment that encourages
characterised lead to stagnation and a lack of Experiencing stagnant or their current situations may resist experimentation and risk-taking.
by a lack of stress and anxiety, innovation, as employees resist declining results in their change and prefer to stay in their Addressing these challenges
change and avoid taking risks.
which can lead to increased personal or professional life. comfort zones, even if it means requires a determination,
productivity and creativity. For example, a company that missing out on new opportunities and a willingness to embrace
However, it can also lead to has always done things a certain 6. Living in daydreams: Thinking and growth. discomfort as part of the process
complacency and stagnation. way may be hesitant to adopt new about other possibilities in 5. Uncertainty and discomfort: of personal and professional
technologies or processes, even if love, work, or life but not development. Resetting or
Why Should You Care? they could significantly improve taking action to pursue them. Engaging in new activities expanding your comfort zone
In business, you are constantly efficiency and productivity. 7. General unhappiness: Feeling or situations can create a sense involves deliberately stepping
faced with challenges and decisions Similarly, an employee who has unmotivated, disinterested, or of uncertainty and discomfort, outside familiar and routine
that can impact the success of always worked in a particular unfulfilled in their daily life. making it challenging for experiences to embrace new
the company. However, it’s easy role may be reluctant to take on 8. Problem-solving approaches individuals to adapt and feel challenges.
to fall into a routine and become new responsibilities, even if they never change: Addressing at ease.
complacent, relying on what has have the potential to advance problems or challenges in 6. Limited support: Ultimately, the key to breaking
worked in the past instead of their career. the same way repeatedly, free from the comfort zone is to
exploring new opportunities. This However, the comfort zone can using the excuse of ‘this is Having a supportive recognise its power and influence,
is where the comfort zone comes also hinder growth and prevent how we’ve always done it’. environment or network can and to take proactive steps to
into play. businesses from reaching their full be crucial for individuals to overcome it. By creating a culture
of continuous learning and
Why do employees resist potential. When we become too When leaving their comfort overcome these challenges development, adopting a growth
and successfully step out of
change, even if it could benefit comfortable, we may miss out on zone, people often face several their comfort zones. mindset, and seeking feedback,
the company? Why do some new opportunities or fail to adapt common challenges, including: we can empower ourselves and
business owners avoid taking to changing market conditions. 1. Fear of failure: What If We Could Break Free our employees to reach new
risks, even if they have the This can lead to a decline in sales, from the Comfort Zone? heights of success. 
potential for significant rewards? a loss of market share, and even The fear of making mistakes or
The answer often lies in the business failure. not meeting expectations can be What if we could create a T: +27 (0)82 887 1600
comfort zone. There are several signs that a significant obstacle that prevents business environment that E: anneme@trueawakenings.co.za
individuals from stepping out of
Why do we allow ourselves to someone may be stuck in their their comfort zones. encourages risk-taking and W: www.trueawakenings.co.za
innovation, while still providing
be limited by our own comfort comfort zone, including: a sense of security and control?
zones, and what impact does it 1. Predictability and boredom: 2. Anxiety and stress: What if we could help our
have on our businesses? How can Feeling bored or unchallenged Stepping into unfamiliar employees break free from
we recognise when we are stuck in by their routine or activities. situations can cause feelings their own comfort zones, and

A SEARCH FOR BELONGING

Arts and as a Mellon Fellow at Akbar Manzil was the grandest
Stellenbosch University. residence on South Africa’s
east coast near Durban. Eight
Her writing has appeared
in The New York Times; decades later when Sana and her
father move to the house, the
McSweeney’s Quarterly; latest of Akbar Manzil’s long list
HuffPost; O, The Oprah
Magazine; The Sunday of tenants, it is in near-ruins,
Times (London); Marie crumbling, shabby and dark.
Claire; and others. Full of questions about her
new home, Sana is drawn to the
Khan’s first novel, Onion Tears, deserted east wing, home to a
was shortlisted for the Penguin clutter of broken and abandoned
Prize for African Writing and
the University of Johannesburg objects – and to the locked door
at its end, unopened for decades.
Debut Prize for Writing in
Shubnum Khan Soon, Sana begins to discover the
English. tangled, troubling history of the
hubnum Khan is a South
African author and artist. Her essay collection, How I house, awakening the memories
SWhen not travelling, Accidentally Became a Stock of the house itself and dredging
Photo was published in South
up old and terrible secrets that
Shubnum lives in Durban will change the lives of everyone –
writing and drawing for a living. Africa and India with Pan
Macmillan in 2021. living and dead – at Akbar Manzil.
She holds a Master’s degree in
English and has been selected for Her latest book The Lost Love In the US and the UK the
a number of literary fellowships, of Akbar Manzil is a haunting, book’s title is The Djinn Waits a
a love story and a mystery, all
including the Octavia Butler twined beautifully into one Hundred Years. 
Fellow at Jack Jones Literary
young girl’s search for belonging. Source www.panmacmillan.co.za

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