Stepping outside of the comfort zone

Over a week ago, I did something that was scary for me. I presented at dbt’s Analytics Engineering conference, Coalesce. It was the first time speaking in “front” (virtual) of a group of my peers about a subject that required vulnerability.

I’ve done tech reviews, deep dives into code amongst colleagues and peers, troubleshooting issues under high pressured circumstances, explaining a root cause amongst executives, all of that with no issue. But to talk about a topic like empathy in a conference about data, was something I’ve never done.

Let’s be frank, there’s not much talk about the soft people skills required to do our work. Yes, there are talks on building effective teams, highly productive teams, etc. But, to talk about vulnerability, compassion, and empathy is something I’ve never seen. When I saw dbt post the call for presenters earlier this year, I knew then that I wanted to talk about understanding people. Not just the people on our teams, but also the people we hire, our stakeholders, and our managers.

These past few years under COVID, has really shined a light into the HUMAN side of us. I wanted to remind us that we are all human and that the root of helping us be better at our work is to better understand people.

The next time you feel scared of stepping outside of your comfort zone, do it. Think not in the present fear or anxiety you may have, but how you will feel after you step out of your comfort zone. Will you regret it or will you feel accomplished?

Take a look at the talk and let me know what you think.

YouTube Link: https://youtu.be/_2uLZFTR0DY