翻译天堂  2016-09-17

If You’re Not Outside Your Comfort Zone, You Won’t Learn Anything

If You’re Not Outside Your Comfort Zone, You Won’t Learn Anything

You need to speak in public, but your knees buckle even before you reach the podium. You want to expand your network, but you’d rather swallow nails than make small talk with strangers. Speaking up in meetings would further your reputation at work, but you’re afraid of saying the wrong thing. Situations like these — ones that are important professionally, but personally terrifying — are, unfortunately, ubiquitous. An easy response to these situations is avoidance. Who wants to feel anxious when you don’t have to? 你需要在公众面前讲话，却还没上台就膝盖发软。你想要拓展交际圈，却宁愿吞下钉子也不和陌生人聊天。会议发言会你提高你的工作声誉，你却害怕说错了话。不幸的是，这种对职业十分重要，自己却很害怕的情况，是很常见的。逃避是面临这些状况时最简单的应对方法。若非必须如此，有谁愿意感受焦虑呢？

But the problem, of course, is that these tasks aren’t just unpleasant; they’re also necessary. As we grow and learn in our jobs and in our careers, we’re constantly faced with situations where we need to adapt our behavior. It’s simply a reality of the world we work in today. And without the skill and courage to take the leap, we can miss out on important opportunities for advancement. How can we as professionals stop building our lives around avoiding these unpleasant, but professionally beneficial, tasks? 但问题是，那些任务不仅令人不快，而且必须完成。随着在工作中的成长和学习，我们会不断面临需要自身调整的情况。这就是现在我们工作的世界的现实。如果不靠技能和勇气领先一步，我们可能会错失晋升的重要机会。作为专业人员，我们应该怎样在生活中不再逃避这些不愉快却对我们十分有益的任务呢？

First, be honest with yourself. When you turned down that opportunity to speak at a big industry conference, was it really because you didn’t have the time, or were you scared to step on a stage and present? And when you didn’t confront that coworker who had been undermining you, was it really because you felt he would eventually stop, or was it because you were terrified of conflict? Take an inventory of the excuses you tend to make about avoiding situations outside your comfort zone and ask yourself if they are truly legitimate. If someone else offered you those same excuses about their behavior, would you see these as excuses or legitimate reasons to decline? The answer isn’t always clear, but you’ll never be able to overcome inaction without being honest about your motives in the first place. 首先，诚实面对自己。当你拒绝在一个大型行业大会上发言的机会时，真的是因为你没有时间吗，还是因为你不敢登台展示呢？当你拒绝面对曾经坑害过你的同事的时候，是因为你觉得他会最终停手，还是因为你害怕矛盾呢？好好检查一下你试图逃避某些在舒适区外的情况的借口，问问自己他们是否合理。如果其他人给你一样的原因，你会把他们看作是借口还是拒绝的正当理由？答案也许并不清晰，但是如果你不能首先对自己的动机以诚相待，你将永远碌碌无为。

Then, make the behavior your own. Very few people struggle in every single version of a formidable work situation. You might have a hard time making small talk generally, but find it easier if the topic is something you know a lot about. Or you may have a hard time networking, except when it’s in a really small setting. 其次，找到你自己的行为方式。很少有人在艰难的工作环境中的每个方面都苦苦挣扎。你可能总是聊天很困难，但是你可能会发现聊某一个你了解很多的话题会容易一些。或者可能你不善于联络，除非是在一个很小的地方。

Recognize these opportunities and take advantage — don’t chalk this variability up to randomness. For many years, I’ve worked with people struggling to step outside their comfort zones at work and in everyday life, and what I’ve found is that we often have much more leeway than we believe to make these tasks feel less loathsome. We can often find a way to tweak what we have to do to make it palatable enough to perform by sculpting situations in a way that minimizes discomfort. For example, if you’re like me and get queasy talking with big groups during large, noisy settings, find a quiet corner of that setting to talk, or step outside into the hallway or just outside the building. If you hate public speaking and networking events, but feel slightly more comfortable in small groups, look for opportunities to speak with smaller groups or set up intimate coffee meetings with those you want to network with. 意识到这些机会并从中获益--不要把变化标注成不可测性。这些年，我一直在帮助人们从他们工作和生活的舒适区中走出来，我的发现是，我们经常有比自己料想的更多的余地来把这些任务变得不那么讨厌。通过把不安塑造到最小，我们总是可以将不得不完成的工作变得足够愉快去完成。例如，如果你像我一样和一大组人在大型的嘈杂的环境中交谈很不自在，那就找一个安静的角落交谈，或者走到外面的走廊里，或者走出大楼。如果你讨厌公开讲话或者社交活动，却感觉在小组中更舒服一点，那就找机会和一小组人一起聊天或是和那些你想交朋友的的人进行亲密的咖啡屋会议。

Finally, take the plunge. In order to step outside your comfort zone, you have to do it, even if it’s uncomfortable. Put mechanisms in place that will force you to dive in, and you might discover that what you initially feared isn’t as bad as you thought. 最后，冒险一试。为了走出你的舒适区，尽管会不舒服，但你必须去做。建立迫使你潜心去做的机制，你也许会发现你最初害怕的东西可能并没有你想象的糟糕。

For example, I have a history of being uncomfortable with public speaking. In graduate school I took a public speaking class and the professor had us deliver speeches — using notes — every class. Then, after the third or fourth class, we were told to hand over our notes and to speak extemporaneously. I was terrified, as was everyone else in the course, but you know what? It actually worked. I did just fine, and so did everyone else. In fact, speaking without notes ended up being much more effective, making my speaking more natural and authentic. But without this mechanism of forcing me into action, I might never have taken the plunge. 例如，我有一段不习惯当众讲话的历史。在研究所我参加了演讲课，教授让我们演每节课带笔记演讲。在第三节或第四节课以后，我们被要求上交笔记并且即兴演讲。我和课上的其他人都很害怕，但你猜怎样？真的很奏效。我和其他人一样，完成的很好。事实上，没有了笔记，我的演讲最后给人的印象更加深刻，更加自然可信。但是如果没有这个让我落实于行动的途径，我也许永远都不会冒险尝试。

Start with small steps. Instead of jumping right into speaking at an industry event, sign up for a public speaking class. Instead of speaking up in the boardroom, in front of your most senior colleagues, start by speaking up in smaller meetings with peers to see how it feels. And while you’re at it, see if you can recruit a close friend or colleague to offer advice and encouragement in advance of a challenging situation. 从迈出一小步开始。与其直接在大型行业会议上演讲，不如先报名一个演讲班。与其在会议室在你的最高层的领导面前发言，你可以从在小型会议上讲话，让同事们评价感受开始。当你开始做的时候，你可以在面对大挑战之前找一个好朋友或同事给你一些建议和鼓励。

You may stumble, but that’s OK. In fact, it’s the only way you’ll learn, especially if you can appreciate that missteps are an inevitable — and in fact essential — part of the learning process. In the end, even though we might feel powerless in situations outside our comfort zone, we have more power than we think. So, give it a go. Be honest with yourself, make the behavior your own, and take the plunge. My guess is you’ll be pleased at having given yourself the opportunity to grow, learn, and expand your professional repertoire. 你可能会犯错，但没关系。事实上，这是你学习的唯一方法，特别是如果你能够明白犯错误是不可避免的，事实上是学习过程中很必要的一部分。最后，即使我们可能会感觉在舒适区外很无力，但我们有比自己想象更多的能力。所以，试一试。诚实面对自己，找到你的方式，然后大胆去做。我想，你一定会满意于给自己一个去成长，学习，拓展专业技能的机会。

Andy Molinsky is a Professor of International Management and Organizational Behavior at the Brandeis International Business School. He is the author of Global Dexterity (HBR Press, 2013) and the forthcoming book Reach: A New Strategy to Help You Step Outside Your Comfort Zone, Rise to the Challenge, and Build Confidence (Penguin, 2017). You can receive his free e-book to master ten key cultural codes from around the world. Follow Andy on Twitter: @andymolinsky.

安迪·莫林斯基是布兰代斯国际商学院国际管理与组织行为学的教授。他是 Global Dexterity （HBR ，2013）以及即将出版的书Reach: A New Strategy to Help You Step Outside Your Comfort Zone, Rise to the Challenge, and Build Confidence (Penguin, 2017). 作者。关注安迪·莫林斯基的推特： @andymolinsky and learn more at www.andymolinsky.com