Every quarter I pull up this graphic and review it with the people I manage:
Yes, there is a version without a unicorn but what fun would that be?
I look at this comfort vs growth zone graphic as a self-awareness tool. In the context of work, I ask people where they feel like they are in their current role. For example, someone in a brand new position last quarter felt like they were on the edge of the fear and learning zone — they were taking on a lot of new responsibilities and didn’t have the confidence to back it up just yet. Another person who’s been hitting their stride felt like they were firmly in unicorn territory.
There’s no “bad” place to be on the chart. Sure, we don’t want to stay in the fear zone forever but it’s a natural part of growing. It’s normal to feel discomfort. The important part is that we don’t get stuck there and move through it.
I also look at this as a cycle. Rarely do we hit the growth zone and stay there forever. In most cases, the growth zone will become the comfort zone and we go through a cycle again to keep growing. There’s also a lot more nuance in growing than once glance at this image allows. We may be in the learning zone in one area, in the comfort zone in another.
But every time I look at it I get motivated to chase that unicorn.
With Love,
Natalie