Many years ago, I found myself in a job that sucked all the life out of me. The problem was not that I was overworked, mistreated, or stressed out. On the contrary, this job came easily to me and, once I’d learned the ropes, it did not demand much from me in the way of critical thinking or problem-solving. I was in my Comfort Zone, and the lack of challenge and learning in my role was preventing my engagement and growth.

Another Zone exists at the polar opposite end of the spectrum. It’s called the Panic Zone, and my coaching client Mike* spent a lot of time there. Mike was thrown into a high-pressure leadership role in an area outside of his expertise, with a much larger team than he’d previously led. The amount of unfamiliar territory coupled with the high-stakes nature of his team’s deliverables meant Mike was in over his head for the first six months in role. Mike was so caught up in merely surviving the challenges he faced that he was unable to learn anything in the process. In truth, this was a stretch assignment gone too far. Mike wasn’t ready for it and wasn’t given the right support and guidance until far too late, so he spent an unproductive season in the Panic Zone.

Another leader I know, Heather*, instinctively knew there was a middle place between the Comfort and Panic Zones. She knew that if she could put her team to work in that middle place - where they’d be challenged out of their comfort and yet safe enough not to panic - the team’s performance, engagement, and learning would skyrocket. This middle place has a name - the Learning Zone - and Heather got her team there by thoughtfully designing roles so that each leader under her began leading an area formerly led by a peer on the team. That peer was still on the team and available to provide support and knowledge transfer, but the new challenge got the leaders learning and bringing fresh thinking to an area outside of their comfort zones. 

These 3 stories illustrate the simple and powerful Learning Zone Framework created by Karl Rohnke. The image below describes the 3 Zones.

This simple yet powerful framework can unlock engagement and high performance in yourself and in those you lead. Keep reading for 3 best practices to maximize The Learning Zone for yourself and your team!

Discover the Boundaries of Your Learning Zone: The line between Learning and Panic (or Learning and Comfort) looks different for everyone. Tune into your own signals and behavior to discover what sends you over the edge into growth-stifling anxiety. Alternately, what clues you in that things are getting a little too comfortable? Do you feel unmotivated, uninspired, or a little too safe? Ask these same questions of those you lead, then partner with them to design work that consistently engages them in the Learning Zone.

Find the Learning Zone…Again: Locating the Learning Zone is not a one-time activity. Life will inevitably send you into the Panic Zone at times. In those moments, ask, “What could I do to move to the Learning Zone in this situation?” Perhaps some research, mentoring, or adjusting of job demands will move you towards a healthy amount of challenge. Another dynamic you’ll encounter is this: skills you’ve developed in the Learning Zone may become second nature, moving you into the Comfort Zone. It might be time to change things up! If you’re leading people, stay tuned in to where they are in the zones over time and help them adapt and adjust to continually find that learning sweet spot.

Embrace the Learning Zone: Consciously opting in to the Learning Zone means saying YES to challenge, discomfort, and stretch (as well as excitement, growth, and energy). It may even mean saying yes to a healthy dose of fear at times. Brene Brown’s encouragement to “Be afraid, and do it anyway” could be the mantra of the Learning Zone. Finally, once you’ve stepped into the fear, don’t forget the all-important learning practice of reflection. Create rhythms to ask yourself (or those you lead) questions like, “What part of that experience came hardest to you, and how did you learn your way through it? What did you learn along the way that you’ll apply to future challenges?”

Abigail Adams said, “Learning is not attained by chance; it must be sought for with ardor and attended to with diligence.” In that spirit, may you seek and find your Learning Zone, and may you help others do the same.

*Names have been changed to protect confidentiality