If
you’re at all like me, sometimes you’re just more comfortable being in
your own world; with familiar faces and familiar conversations. And,
that’s perfectly natural. I
think most of us prefer seeing familiar faces over those of people we
barely know, and engaging in conversations that are about topics we can
relate to. We prefer to feel at home instead of a like a foreigner or
outsider. Why - because we’re more comfortable with those familiar
faces; sharing our thoughts, ideas, and who we are with people we know and relate to.
Many of us probably walk by the same cubicles and offices
every day...and barely know anything about the person occupying them, because they have nothing to do with the position we hold or our
day-to-day work. We communicate with teammates about projects we’re
working on. We discuss task issues with co-workers. And, we engage those who have
the same type of job we have or a similar background. We naturally
gravitate to similarity; to common ground. We naturally gravitate to what's familiar; to what's comfortable. And, there’s nothing wrong with staying in your comfort zone - but consider this...
How
do we create opportunities if we never leave our comfort zone? How do
we establish new relationships; how do we learn about different
departments or business areas within our company; how do we get to know
new people; how do we gain understanding or build cooperation if we
never make efforts to engage those outside of our world. The answer very simply is, you don’t.
