Are Your Team Members in the Zone of Proximal Development?
The teacher must adopt the role of facilitator not content provider. - Lev S. Vygotsky
As a manager, one critical aspect of developing your team is ensuring each employee operates within their Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD). Developed by psychologist Lev Vygotsky, the ZPD is the sweet spot where learners are consistently challenged just beyond their current abilities but not so much that they feel overwhelmed. When someone is in the ZPD, they cannot complete a task independently but can do so with guidance and mentoring from another. Others in leader development circles have called the concept similar names: “balancing challenge and support" (Center for Creative Leadership), the "productive zone of disequilibrium" (Ron Heifetz), "constructive disorientation" (Jon Wergin), and "constructive destabilization" (Robert Kegan/Lisa Lahey). The idea is simple yet profound: keeping your team members in this zone drives continuous growth and ensures they are consistently in learning mode. It also means that you are always developing your team members.
Finding this balance is not a one-size-fits-all approach. Each employee has a unique formula for the right level of challenge. For some, it might involve tackling a new and complex project with a significant risk of failure. For others, it might be taking charge when they must lead without clear authority, forcing them to hone their negotiation and influence skills. Your role as a manager is to identify these opportunities and tailor them to your team member’s needs and capabilities. A classic book by Lombardo and Eichinger, Eighty-Eight Assignments for Development in Place, outlines the options beautifully.
The principles of ZPD aren’t just for the workplace; they also apply to parenting children. Like employees, children grow/develop when consistently challenged beyond their current capabilities. Whether it’s encouraging them to solve problems on their own, supporting them through auditions, delivering a presentation, traveling to a new country, or guiding them through new social situations, the key is to provide enough support to prevent frustration but enough challenge to promote growth. In parenting and management, the goal is to keep them in that optimal learning zone where they can build confidence and resilience.
The benefits of managing (and parenting) in this way are clear. When individuals are consistently in their ZPD, they develop critical skills and build confidence and resilience. They learn to cope with pressure, handle ambiguity, and juggle multiple responsibilities. This approach also
prepares them for future leadership roles, whether in the workplace or in life, as they gain experience in strategic thinking, team building, and managing change. You foster a culture of continuous growth by keeping a pulse on where each person is in their development journey and ensuring they’re always stretched just enough. This proactive approach is one consideration for building a strong, capable team and raising confident, resilient children ready to face life’s challenges.
It’s a simple concept but a powerful one. Talk with your team members and identify a quarterly stretch assignment that will take their knowledge, skills, and abilities to new levels. Likewise, pay close attention to how you parent—do your children consistently face appropriate “next-level” challenges that promote development?