I come across many people who are capable of doing a lot more in a professional capacity, but never seem to get around to doing it. I have often wondered why this was the case and what can be done to "unlock" their talent.
I believe that a lot of this is due to "fear". There are various kinds of fears that people exhibit. Some of these are:
a) Fear of the unknown: Some people are afraid of doing something because they don't know if there are serious consequences. This prevents such people from ever experimenting and experiencing their curiosity.
I usually ask such people": "What is the worst that can happen?" And after they are convinced that the worst outcome isn't so bad after all, they start taking the plunge and conquering their fears.
b) Fear of what "others might say/think": Many people I know are afraid of what other people might say or think about what they do. And this prevents them from doing what they really want to do.
For people who have such fears, I usually ask: "So, who would you rather be: yourself or someone else that you want others to think of you?" This is a tough call, because we all have some exalted views of ourself and are unwilling to accept the humble truth that we all are what we are. Whenever a person has confronted this question well, I have seen it pay handsome dividends. But it isn't easy.
c) Fear of failure: Some others are afraid to fail. This is extremely common, and is all too prevalent because of environments we grow up in. This fear also stems from a basic human instinct for survival. But, when properly considered, we must realize that all of us failed to do something initially as a child and only then learned our ways.
For such folks, it is usually important to create a "safe" environment for failure. This includes a school where one can learn from failure, a company where one can learn from failures, and more importantly, a family where failure isn't ridiculed.
I have found that fear is the potent killer of learning, and must be nipped in the bud, for any organization to be successful, be it a family, school, company or nation for that matter.
India, are you listening?
I am sure there are plenty of other fears, and I am interested to hear more from all of you.
I believe that a lot of this is due to "fear". There are various kinds of fears that people exhibit. Some of these are:
a) Fear of the unknown: Some people are afraid of doing something because they don't know if there are serious consequences. This prevents such people from ever experimenting and experiencing their curiosity.
I usually ask such people": "What is the worst that can happen?" And after they are convinced that the worst outcome isn't so bad after all, they start taking the plunge and conquering their fears.
b) Fear of what "others might say/think": Many people I know are afraid of what other people might say or think about what they do. And this prevents them from doing what they really want to do.
For people who have such fears, I usually ask: "So, who would you rather be: yourself or someone else that you want others to think of you?" This is a tough call, because we all have some exalted views of ourself and are unwilling to accept the humble truth that we all are what we are. Whenever a person has confronted this question well, I have seen it pay handsome dividends. But it isn't easy.
c) Fear of failure: Some others are afraid to fail. This is extremely common, and is all too prevalent because of environments we grow up in. This fear also stems from a basic human instinct for survival. But, when properly considered, we must realize that all of us failed to do something initially as a child and only then learned our ways.
For such folks, it is usually important to create a "safe" environment for failure. This includes a school where one can learn from failure, a company where one can learn from failures, and more importantly, a family where failure isn't ridiculed.
I have found that fear is the potent killer of learning, and must be nipped in the bud, for any organization to be successful, be it a family, school, company or nation for that matter.
India, are you listening?
I am sure there are plenty of other fears, and I am interested to hear more from all of you.
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