Good enough is comfortable. As a goal, comfort works best if you are an independent performer with no accountability to anyone else. As soon as you factor in the precious cargo of a teammate, the choice to aim low becomes selfish. Unless everyone on the team is unified around mediocrity, the least ambitions and most risk-averse member sets the tone for the group.
The best rewards usually occur in partnerships with others while stretching outside of the comfort zone. Brave investments, time-tested trust, mutual accountability, deep connections, daring discovery, thirst for change, and poised adaptability create the recipe for greatness. It’s shared discomfort that generates creative ideas and novel solutions.
Consider these strategies when comfort and safety are draining the life out of your team:
- Relocation: change the venue.
- Reevaluation: entertain a new interpretation.
- Reorganization: alter the structure.
- Revitalization: introduce the energy of youth.
- Reconstitution: add or subtract people from the team.
- Reboot: unplug and enjoy a fresh start.
The re-“fill-in-the-blank” of anything assumes the desire to take something to the next level. It is fueled by the combined energy of teammates wanting more for themselves, each other, their customers, and their contribution to a better world. Sometimes, you have to shake things up.
