Over the last two weeks, I have heard three people encourage their listeners to get uncomfortable. At first glance, getting uncomfortable does not seem like good advice. You always try to get comfortable as you nestle in to watch a movie. You frequently choose clothing that feels comfortable. And what about comfort food?
Yet, getting uncomfortable is a great way to evolve and grow. One of the speakers I heard used iron as an analogy to clarify how being uncomfortable can help. When iron is cold, it is virtually unbendable. When iron is heated to a very high temperature (and seemingly uncomfortable), you can bend the iron into any shape that you want.
Working to raise your visibility and value requires you to get uncomfortable. Perhaps you need to speak with your boss in ways you have not held conversations before. Maybe you need to ask to lead a project team that is outside of your work group. Possibly asking your CFO or CIO out for a cup of coffee makes you feel uncomfortable.
Whatever actions you have designed to raise your visibility and value in your organization and industry, many of these actions will force you to get uncomfortable. That is okay. It is the outcome of the interaction on which you should focus, not how you felt creating the action in the first place.
