Tips on Encouraging Employees to Move Outside Their Comfort Zones

Anyone can get stuck in a rut. Bored or uninspired employees are not using their creative and intellectual talents fully. As a supervisor or manager, finding ways to "coach" employees into stretching beyond the ordinary daily grind is part of the job description. But how can you urge employees who are settled into a comfortable mode to take on new challenges, learn new skills and become more vibrant and involved in improving the workplace? Here are some coaching suggestions for encouraging employees to develop and move outside of their comfort zones...

Prompting and encouraging employees to take on projects, activities and responsibilities outside of work is one great way to support growth. Joining a committee or volunteer board of directors, getting involved with a service group or a professional organization, and doing community volunteer work are all ways to stretch a person's daily experiences. These are some activities that can help individuals learn new skills, develop leadership capabilities, and network with new and different community members.

Being an expert is one thing, learning how to share that information and train other people is another. Supporting employees in learning how to share and teach their expertise with others can really stretch a person beyond the cozy comfort of their position. Having employees conduct workshops or training sessions within the company is one way to use this process, another would be to recommend and help employees offer their training and teaching services to the community or public. Teaching an adult education class, a course at the community college or even offering workshops or trainings through a professional organization can really help develop leadership and organizational skills.