When I spoke to Nolle about a time she stepped out of her comfort zone professionally, her story was something I could really relate to – that moment when you move from being a team member to being a team leader within the same team!

Nolle spoke about there being many different examples of professionally stepping out of your comfort zone, but this one stood out for her. ‘’It’s a great compliment and it’s a great achievement, pay off for all your hard work but it also brings a lot of anxiety because where people were your friends and confided in you … they can become a little bit guarded. And it’s hard for human beings because they still want to be liked. It’s fundamental in our nature to still be liked. And when the dynamic changes … [it] can’t be the same … and the thing that you learn about stepping outside your comfort zone in that environment is that you can’t operate the way you would have previously.”

Next Nolle passed on to me something she learned from a mentor, the “Valley of Despair”. This I have experienced many times, I imagine you have too!

The Valley of Despair starts with the excitement of a new position or role. “This is fantastic”. This is the top of the valley. Then the time comes for you to start the role, and the doubts kick in. “I hope I can do this” which leads to you realising just how much you have to learn and you start going down the slope into the valley. You start thinking ‘’oh my god, is this is too much for me?. I don’t know if I can do it.” In addition, you are in the situation of managing people who were once your peers, so you are rebuilding relationships too.

In Nolle’s words “This is where some people check out and say ‘this is not for me’ or ‘I can’t do this’. But what happens is that if you can give yourself the time … be a bit easy with yourself and understand that this is what always happens with change. So then you start to get to know what you’re doing, start to establish relationships with people around you, start to get your self-belief back again, and start to learn the new systems, processes,  then you start to make that role your own. So you’re coming back up the other side of the valley, and then when you kick a couple of goals, whether the low hanging fruit or you think you’re getting the job done, you get feedback from your one up or two up, then you start to see you’re climbing right back up to the top of the valley.’’

What Nolle loves is that this pattern repeats every time she steps out of her comfort zone. When you know it is coming you can deal with it. ‘’It’s going to be a bit tough for a while, but then I’m going to be okay.”

And why does Nolle step out of her comfort zone?

“Well, I was always career hungry.  I think that’s because I grew up in Ireland where we didn’t have many opportunities, where I left school and went straight into full time work …  I was forever trying to prove to myself if I am I good enough … As I’ve got older and wiser, I think instead of trying to prove something to yourself … we have to ask ourselves what do we really want?”

As discussed with Nolle, professional risks tend to be more public and failure more frightening than risks in your personal life. She believes it is important to have goals, and that stepping out of your comfort zone is often needed to achieve those goals.

I found Nolle’s description of the Valley of Despair really helpful, I know I have experienced it often without having this great image to refer to. Next time I will know that the tough times will pass!

A bit about Nolle:
Currently working as a Business Partner Principal in the Transformation Delivery Office at Telstra.
Background:
Having worked in IT & Business roles spanning over 2 decades in Australia in various different sectors including Health, Media, Technology & Telecommunications
Working primarily  in the project and program space, moving into leadership and management roles and over the last few years into partnership and engagement roles
Moving to Australia at 23, married with 5 children (blended family) loving life and all that it brings 🙂