Expert Interview: Teaching People to Step Outside Their Personal and Cultural Comfort Zones

Andy Molinsky

Andy Molinsky is a professor of international management and psychology at Brandeis University in Boston. He is the author of two popular business books–“Global Dexterity: How to Adapt Your Behavior Across Cultures without Losing Yourself in the Process,” and “Reach: A New Strategy to Help You Step Outside Your Comfort Zone, Rise to the Challenge, and Build Confidence,” which was published in 2017 by Penguin Random House.

Helping People Step Outside Their Personal and Cultural Comfort Zones

“Stepping outside your comfort zone, both personally and culturally, is one of the hardest things people have to do. But, you’re probably going to have to step outside your comfort zone if you want to grow, learn, develop—to achieve your goals.” That’s what his work is about: helping people understand the challenges, what holds them back, how they might be avoiding it, and what they can do to be more successful.

Why Is This Important?

“As you listen to the interview, think about a specific situation that might be outside your comfort zone. Maybe it’s something you avoid like public speaking. Or having a difficult conversation, delivering bad news. It could involve networking, pitching and promoting yourself. For some people, it’s making small talk with people you don’t know. These situations often happen at key inflection points and stages in your life. Maybe when you’re moving from home to college, or taking your first professional job, becoming a manager, or starting a company, becoming a leader. To be able to thrive at any of these inflection points, you’re going to have to step outside your comfort zone to achieve your goals.”

What Are the Key Lessons Learned Here?

“First, understand what your pain points are. They boil down to five different pain points. I call them psychological roadblocks. They are the reasons why it’s hard to step outside your comfort zone. They are: authenticity, likability, competence, resentment, morality.” Andy explains each one—and strategies that help you surmount them—in today’s interview.