Indeed, learning happens only once we step out of our comfort zone.
I still remember the day I stepped on a podium, for the first time, to present to 500+ audience. I was scared and worried that I would stutter; or worse still completely forget what I had to say. I practiced and practiced, but the butterflies in my stomach refused to go.
The first large project that I handled was a nightmare! I had never worked on a project of that scale and scope. It had multiple stakeholders with conflicting priorities. To top it, I was working with a freshly minted team. The next 12 months were a roller-coaster ride, the project seemed an untameable beast! But, I managed to deliver to reasonable satisfaction of the client.
Few years back, I was in-charge of driving a critical project on culture. Again, I stepped into an unknown terrain. Things were fuzzy at the beginning, but clarity emerged with passing time.
When I reflect, most of my learning happened only when I stepped out of my comfort zone. However, it’s never easy to step out of comfy shore and step into rough waters. Few things that helped me over years:
Conquer the fear of failure – be ready to trip and fall. Make mistakes early on, but learn from them quickly
Accept ignorance, ask questions and seek support shamelessly
Break the problem into smaller pieces – making it seem manageable and easier to handle, while allowing to stay focused on larger picture.
Belief in self that you can do it. You have done it before, and you will do it again!
Surround yourself with optimists, positive energy is akin to sunshine for plants.
“If we are growing, we are always going to be out of our comfort zone.”
At the outset, I would like to thank you for stopping by my Blog.
I believe that there is nothing right or wrong in this world. What’s right in this moment and context may be wrong in another moment and context. This belief has inspired me to name my blog ‘Perspectives’.
Perspectives is a platform for me to share my experiences, thoughts and perspectives on various subjects. You may have a different point of view. I look forward to hearing them, these are the triggers for rich and deep conversations.
On personal front, I live in Mumbai, India. I love to read; Somerset Maugham and Nevil Shute are my favorite authors. My favorite books are The Razor’s Edge, Mrs. Craddock, Chequer Board and Gone with the Wind. I am thankful to my father who inculcated the habit of reading in me early on.
I am also passionate about traveling, I have been to most parts of India and to several countries across the globe.
On professional front, I work in Human Resources function. Over two and half decades, I have worked across multiple industries and cultures. I focus on Leadership Development, Talent Management, Visioning and Culture, Large-scale change, Employee Listening & Engagement, Employee Well-being, Inclusive work culture, HR effectiveness, Behavior and Mind-set shifts through sustained interventions
I currently lead Organization Effectiveness Function for Aditya Birla Group, a $44.3 billion conglomerate with 120000 employees across 35 countries.
I sincerely hope that you will enjoy reading my blog. I look forward to your thoughts and suggestions.
Thank you!
View all posts by Padma Rajeswari Nandi
Indeed, learning happens only once we step out of our comfort zone.
Perspectives 