You’re probably already aware that confidence plays an enormous role in business success. When it comes to building self-confidence, perception is everything. The way you view yourself has a huge impact on how others will ultimately perceive you.
While blows to our self-worth can come from many directions, some of the typical issues that break down our confidence while at work are:
- Doubt we can do the job/task
- Too many competing opinions
- Politics
- Difficult people
- Difficult conversations
- Lack of clear direction
- Doubt in our ability to make the right decision
- Lack of support
- Contradictory feedback
- Negative people / fault-finders
There are a few simple tricks though that can help you boost your confidence at work. Whether you’re new to a job or just suffering a momentary fit of self-doubt, give these tips a try:
- Do you always behave like how others expect you to?
- Do you manage your behavior based on what other people think?
- Do you prefer to stay in your comfort zone and avoid taking up risks and challenging tasks?
- Do you often find yourself scrambling to fix mistakes so that other people won’t notice?
- Do you feel yourself blushing in shame every time someone points out your mistakes?
If you answered, “Yes” to the above questions, then it’s time you fix this.
Identify what is undermining your confidence and use that to take action.
Positive thought can be a very powerful way of improving confidence. The basic rules of positive thinking are to highlight your strengths and successes and learn from your weaknesses and mistakes.
One mission statement could be to “work hard and get noticed.” This means you need to stop complaining, stop erecting barriers and stop looking for excuses. Turn it round by calculating how to get through the barriers and how to make sure the new-you is noticed. If necessary, bang on the boss’s door and tell him/her: “This is the new me – now watch me go!”
With realization of one’s own potential & self confidence in one’s ability, one can build a better world. ~Dalai Lama
Identify your strengths and weaknesses and then weigh those against what you enjoy.
Set achievable short-term and long-term goals. Target short-term goals that give you achievable “wins.” Celebrate these wins on your way to your overall goal.
Take time to evaluate where you are, and where you want to go. Identify the skills you need to achieve your goals, and make a commitment to get them. Make preparations for where you want go by investing in the related training and personal development that you need.
The key people in your life, your spouse or partner, family members, close friends, long time colleagues all want to see you be successful. Let them give you encouragement. Success comes from having a team around you that supports your dreams. You don’t have to do it alone.
Remember that confidence is all about perception. Acting confident is the first step to feeling confident. When approaching a new task or a fresh challenge, it is normal to feel under-confident, but if you put on a positive frame of mind and act confidently, you’ll be surprised how far that will take you.
What matters is the desire you have to attempt to achieve your goals.
Just saying these words makes you that much closer to failing. These words scream; “I don’t believe in myself! I see my limitations! I am afraid of failing!” Those are not the words of a confident person.
The body language technique was first demonstrated by social psychologist Amy Cuddy in a TED talk seminar that has since been viewed almost 10 million times and explains that holding a simple pose for a couple of minutes can boost testosterone levels, which lowers stress levels and increases overall confidence.
Standing with your legs slightly apart, holding your hands on your hips and raising your chin for two full minutes can result in a testosterone rise of 20%, and a 25% decrease in the stress hormone cortisol, research has found.
You will feel instantly better and it helps to be kinder to others as well.
Increasing one’s self-confidence in the workplace has many wonderful benefits to doing so. By reaching for a more self-confident you, your self-esteem will flourish, your work will prosper and others will view you as a force to be reckoned with. Do you have more tips to increase self – confidence at work?
