The new working method has been explained, the schedule is set, and everyone has nodded. Two weeks later, at the coffee machine, you hear: “Nice idea, but our customers really aren't waiting for that.” Or in the team meeting: “Things are done differently in our market.” Anyone leading change knows these sentences. They sound like a substantive objection and often come from experienced, committed people.
Richard van Heukelum, a trainer at Kenneth Smit, hears something different in this. To him, these are recognizable signals of the fear zone: the phase in which someone lets go of their familiar way of working and has not yet mastered the new one. His position is clear: real change feels uncomfortable. If a change feels no uncomfortable at all, then probably little will change. Those who learn to recognize that discomfort help people get through it faster and save themselves endless discussions.
What happens when someone leaves their comfort zone?
Between stepping out of the comfort zone and mastering something, there is a phase of uncertainty. The model of comfort zone, fear zone, learning zone, and growth zone describes that path. In the comfort zone, people do what they know and feel competent: the account manager who has been visiting clients in the same way for ten years, the planner with her own Excel file, the team leader who starts the shift in his own way every morning. Those routines work, and that is precisely why they are difficult to let go of.
As soon as something new is requested, someone enters the fear zone. The old way is no longer allowed, and the new one still feels awkward. This is followed by the learning zone, where new behavior becomes second nature through repetition. In the growth zone, people understand why it works and make it their own. Almost no one skips the fear zone. The difference lies in how long someone remains stuck in it.
Why does almost no one say “I find this exciting”?
Indicating that something is daunting can feel like admitting you are incapable. For an experienced professional, that is a big step. Therefore, the discomfort is presented as a business objection, which is much easier to voice. That discomfort is understandable. Research shows that people weigh a potential loss about twice as heavily as an equal gain. What someone gives up—their routine, their expertise, and the feeling that they are doing a good job—is certain. What they get in return is still a promise. At the moment itself, therefore, the change seems to come at a cost.
Moreover, experienced professionals derive a large part of their self-image from their craftsmanship. A new way of working then quickly feels like a judgment on how they have been doing things up until now. To protect that self-image, the brain seeks an explanation for the discomfort outside the person themselves: the market, the customer, the system, the colleagues. These explanations sound logical. It is precisely because of this that they are convincing, even to the speaker themselves. Usually, therefore, “that doesn’t work for us” is not a deliberate excuse. It is the way in which insecurity disguises itself.
Which sentences help you recognize the anxiety zone?
You recognize the fear zone by statements that declare change impossible before anyone has seriously tried. Common variations:
- Our customers are different.
- We tried that in the past too.
- We really don't have time for that right now.
- Fine for other departments, but it is different for us.
- “My people won’t understand that anyway.” (to managers)
What they have in common: the cause lies outside the speaker and the conclusion is already fixed.
Why do good arguments help so little?
Because an objection expresses a feeling, and arguments rarely remove a feeling. Anyone who tries to prove with numbers and success stories that it *does* work puts the other person on the defensive. People who feel pressured will protect their own standpoint and freedom of choice. The harder you push, the more firmly someone clings to what they know.
What works better: first acknowledge the discomfort and only then return to the substance. Sometimes, just being silent is enough. Whoever hears their own “that doesn’t work for us” echoing in a quiet room often hears for themselves what is really going on.
How do you respond to the fear zone as a manager?
If someone reacts from the fear zone, for example with “that won’t work for us,” genuinely investigate where that resistance comes from. Ask further about exactly what someone expects to go wrong. This makes a general objection concrete and creates space to discuss it together. Phrases that help with this:
- What exactly do you expect to happen if we do it this way?
- With which client do you see things are getting difficult? Let's look at that one together.
- What do you need to try it seriously for four weeks?
- Do you recognize that it still feels mostly awkward?
Next, make the first step small and concrete, preferably as an if-then agreement: “If I make the schedule on Monday morning, I will first call the three customers with the largest outstanding orders.” Research shows that such concrete intentions significantly increase the likelihood that someone will actually carry out the new behavior. Immediately schedule a moment to look back: what went well, what could be improved? This is how discipline is established in small, achievable steps.
What do you agree on before things get difficult?
How someone wants to be addressed once they enter the fear zone. This is perhaps the most underestimated step in any change. At the start, simply tell your team that the fear zone is coming: there will be weeks where the old way is tempting and the new way is disappointing. Then ask everyone: “How do you want me to address you if I notice you are relapsing?” The answers vary. One person wants to hear it immediately, another wants to be asked what is going on first, and a third wants to be reminded of why the team chose this approach. Write it down.
When the moment comes, you refer to the agreement: “We agreed that I would address this with you immediately. I am doing so now.” The correction then feels like keeping a promise, and that makes the conversation much lighter. Moreover, teams familiar with the model develop a shared language. A colleague saying “I think you are in the fear zone” often elicits a laugh, and with that, the pattern is already half broken.
From resistance to lasting behavioral change
Organizations that learn to recognize and break through the fear zone turn resistance into action. Leaders have difficult conversations sooner and with more confidence, employees sustain new behavior longer, and teams focus more on solutions and progress.
Richard van Heukelum helps organizations translate this insight into daily practice. In his training sessions, he makes the comfort-to-growth zone model recognizable and applicable using situations from participants' work. In this way, they learn to recognize resistance earlier and discover how to take the step towards new behavior.
Would you like to know what this could mean for your organization? Then schedule a no-obligation introductory meeting with Richard van Heukelum.
