Self-confidence is a belief in yourself and your abilities. We
naturally seek out this feeling in our work, in our relationships, in
our personal lives, but rarely do we feel consistently, truly confident
in all areas of our life. There are usually a few gremlins and defeating
messages that sneak up on us from time to time, and the workplace is
often a breeding ground for situations that strike a blow to our sense
of self.
When we have confidence in ourselves at work, we tend to be more
decisive, assertive, and take more initiative. We feel good about
ourselves, our contributions, and our decisions, and may act a little
more boldly. Others tend to also view us differently when we are
self-assured, and will often support or be persuaded more easily by
someone who exudes conviction in their views.
On the other hand, when we lack complete confidence we tend to
over-react, over-think things, and procrastinate. We feel out of
control, helpless, or out of our depth. And others perceive us as
weaker, less capable, less reliable.
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
Try these five tips to boost your confidence at work:
Strengths - Get clear on your strengths, skills, and
innate talents. Focus on these, rather than on any perceived
weaknesses. Embrace your strengths and find ways to enhance them and
leverage them to be successful at whatever you do. When you play to your
strengths, you’ll be more confident in your abilities, and get better
results.
Integrity - Make sure you know your own core values.
What are the key principles by which you live your life? With every
decision you make, and choice of action, check in with your integrity.
Are you being pulled to act against your values, are you in line with
them? Working out of integrity creates deep-seated self-doubt, so keep
your motivation up by committing to act with integrity in every
situation.
Accomplishments - Celebrate your accomplishments,
even if no one else does. Keep track of your achievements, goals met,
projects completed, and challenges met. Record them, and when your
confidence takes a hit, pull out the list and remind yourself of all the
great work you’ve done so far. This strategy also becomes an excellent
career management tool, better preparing you for performance evaluations, raise negotiations, or updating the résumé.
Alignment - If you allow yourself to get distracted or derailed from your primary
objectives
and goals at work, you will find it more difficult to feel a sense of
accomplishment. Well-written objectives help you to see your value to
the organization, and how your work fits into a larger picture. Revisit
your goals for the year, then be diligent about aligning your actions
with your objectives.
Trust - The first four tips, when mastered, provide
you with a strong center or foundation. If you can stay connected to
that core of who you are and what you need to do, it will be harder to
get knocked off your game or negatively influenced by others. Find ways
to remind yourself of this foundation, then trust that if you are acting
in congruence with your foundation, that you are doing what you need to
be doing and in the way you need to be doing it.
It is important to differentiate self-confidence from arrogance.
Arrogance is when someone displays an overbearing pride and sense of
superiority. On the other hand, self-confidence combined with a dose of
humility and a healthy respect for others and their opinions is a sign
of a good leader.
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