In the world of business, your confidence tends to increase with success or diminish with your perceived negative experiences. Often, a difference in our confidence level comes down to how we react to criticism and feedback, our ability to gain knowledge, and the decisions we make at work. Confidence is important, and having it makes life more pleasurable, so put some strategies in place to start building more of it.
We all see life through different filters that build up over the years, mainly through the feedback of many experiences and how we mentally (positively or negatively) perceive and internalise those experiences. Remember, at the start, I said 'perceived negative experiences,' this can be very different from your experience, especially if you are looking at it with cold logic and neutrality. For instance, two people may present some information to a group of peers, and they get up nervously and make the exact same speech in front of the group, who find it informative and enjoyable. One of the presenters may sit down and think, well, I was a bit nervous in places, but that went really well considering, and people seemed to like it. The other person may sit down and think, that was appalling; I was so nervous that everyone must have thought I was stupid! I know they clapped at the end, but I think that was more out of sympathy. Two emotional responses to the exact same situation. Now, guess which person will build up layers of more confidence in future presentations? In fact, the one who felt it was a negative experience may never do it again, while the other one may do more, therefore becoming great at presenting in front of people. There is no difference in the situation except the person's personal filter in the perception of their result.
Being confident is a head game, we could just say think confident and you will be confident. But, in reality, you need to reinforce confidence with layers of positive behaviour and a positive attitude towards them. Confidence will then start to grow and with this in mind we have created some tips to help you with your journey and growth towards being more confident, just remember to go into it all with your glass half full!
Building Resilience
In the ever-evolving workplace, resilience plays a crucial role in strengthening your confidence. Resilience is the ability to bounce back from setbacks, adapt to challenges, and maintain your mental and emotional well-being. It's a skill that can make a significant difference in your overall confidence at work.
When you encounter obstacles or face failures, rather than viewing them as a blow to your confidence, see them as opportunities for growth. Resilience enables you to learn from your experiences, pick yourself up, and continue moving forward with renewed determination.
One key aspect of building resilience is developing a growth mindset. Embrace challenges as chances to learn and improve rather than as threats to your self-esteem. Understand that setbacks are a natural part of any career journey, and they don't define your capabilities or potential.
Additionally, maintaining a healthy work-life balance and practising self-care are essential components of resilience. When prioritising your well-being, you're better equipped to handle stress and maintain confidence during demanding times.
Seeking support from mentors, colleagues, or a support network within your workplace can also contribute to building resilience. Sharing experiences, receiving guidance, and knowing that you have a network of individuals who believe in your abilities can provide a significant boost to your confidence. We will look into some more of these topics in more depth later.
Visualisation Techniques
Being confident is a head game, and one technique to boost your confidence is visualisation. Imagine yourself succeeding in various workplace situations. Visualise confidently, presenting ideas during meetings, handling challenging tasks with ease, and receiving positive feedback from colleagues. Visualisation techniques can help you mentally rehearse success, making you more prepared and self-assured when facing real-life situations.
Mindfulness and Stress Reduction
Confidence can be eroded by workplace stress and anxiety. Mindfulness and stress reduction techniques can be valuable in regaining and maintaining your confidence. Practice mindfulness through meditation or deep breathing exercises to stay grounded and reduce stress. When you're calm and centred, your confidence naturally shines through, and you're better equipped to handle workplace challenges.
Celebrate Your Successes
Within the workplace, people tend to focus on negative feedback and the elements they need to change. When all you do is concentrate on these workplace negatives, it can be easy to lose confidence in the work that you do, but it’s absolutely vital that you focus on the positives too! Celebrate when you get positive feedback, celebrate when you do something above and beyond and celebrate when you feel like you deserve it! Pointing out what you have done well will make your confidence grow in a great matter-of-fact way. This will make you more confident because you get into the habit of self-reward and self-acknowledgement. We are all human, you will get things wrong, learn from them and then forget them as they will probably never happen again. Generally, if you try to do positive things you will be perceived as a positive person, nurture this trait and feeling within yourself and forget the negative things from the past.
Overcoming Imposter Syndrome
Imposter syndrome, the feeling of being inadequate despite accomplishments, is a common confidence hurdle. To overcome it, recognise that you're not alone in experiencing this phenomenon. Understand that initial feelings of self-doubt are normal, but they don't define your worth or abilities. Embrace your successes and the positive feedback you receive, even when imposter syndrome tries to convince you otherwise. Remember that growth and improvement often involve stepping outside your comfort zone, and imposter syndrome can be a sign of pushing your boundaries in a positive way.
Celebrate Your Successes
Within the workplace, people tend to focus on negative feedback and the elements they need to change. When all you do is concentrate on these workplace negatives, it can be easy to lose confidence in the work that you do, but it's absolutely vital that you focus on the positives too! Celebrate when you get positive feedback, celebrate when you do something above and beyond, and celebrate when you feel like you deserve it! Pointing out what you have done well will make your confidence grow in a great, matter-of-fact way. This will make you more confident because you get into the habit of self-reward and self-acknowledgement. We are all human; you will get things wrong, learn from them, and then forget them, as they will probably never happen again. Generally, if you try to do positive things, you will be perceived as a positive person, nurture this trait and feeling within yourself, and forget the negative things from the past.
View Feedback Differently
People focusing on negative feedback can become very defensive when they are told things they don't want to hear. It's important that when you do receive negative feedback, you turn it around and view it as a learning experience that will make you better at what you do. Therefore, it becomes a positive. We are not stupid; we know when you first hear criticism on any level, your natural emotion is to be angry, as we all like to think we are right, even if we are not. Take a deep breath, give it a bit of time, and then try to look at it with a neutral mindset. Although this may be easier said than done, it's important that you accept the feedback you receive as part of the process for growth and improvement. Understanding this concept will mean your confidence won't be damaged. Be computer-like with your feedback and critique, take it in, analyse it, present the solution, and move on - take all the emotions out of it. Do you think Olympic athletes take all their hard criticism from their trainers to heart? No, they just turn it around and use it as information to improve and motivation to win. If they did not have this mindset, they would never become Olympians! Note again, it is all a head game together with your perceptions of the situation. You are never going to not get some criticism at some point in your life, so be prepared, change your perception of it and be happy and confident instead of potentially demoralised and angry. Be an Olympian!
Everyone Makes Mistakes
Leading on from the last tip, remember you can't always be perfect; sometimes you will feel inadequate. Perfection, as we should all know, is unattainable. Everyone makes mistakes on the job; you will, too, and that's okay! Give yourself a break; don't beat yourself up over them; as we have said before, learn from them and move on. Once you let go of the need to be perfect, you will free yourself to do much more and take a few more risks, which will help you progress in your career.
Learn, Learn, Learn
Personal training and further education can seriously help your workplace confidence grow! If you do feel ill-equipped or hesitant, then ask the company if there is any training to help you improve. If there is no internal training, find some online courses or go to seminars; doing this will make you feel more competent in your subject by increasing your capabilities to do the job more effectively. This will increase your confidence, which will make you feel more comfortable at work. It will also signal to employers you are going the extra mile to be the best at what you do.
Be The Best That You Can Be
There is nothing that boosts confidence like that of praise, so with each new assignment, try to really excel at it. Do that extra research, go the extra mile, keep a close eye on the details and get your projects finished on time or even early! Whatever the project is, push yourself to do it well; this will raise your self-esteem just knowing you have done the best you can. It will get the attention of your bosses and the people around you; a strong reputation makes for a great morale booster. Good focus and a bit of hard work can make all the difference in feeling confident!
Surround Yourself With The Right People
In order to increase your confidence at work, you need to surround yourself with good, honest, confident people. If your colleagues are people who can encourage you and build you up, you will feel more confident and comfortable going to work every day. Seek out positive colleagues and mentors who will support you, the type of people that will help you succeed! If you spend too much time with people who criticise you, that's going to kill your confidence, which will affect your work in the future. Surrounding yourself with happy, positive people will make everything a little easier!
Ask Questions
At any stage of our career, asking questions is an important skill to utilise. Many people do not like to do this for many reasons, such as feeling insecure about doing so or feeling they should already know the answer. Try to break the habit of never asking questions by being generally inquisitive and getting into the rhythm of asking people's advice. If the answer is obvious with a bit of quick digging around, then do that first, but if you are going to waste a lot of time trying to find the answer, then ask focused questions of someone who will know. This will save you time and potential mistakes by just guessing the answer. As long as you are not asking questions all day, every day, then generally people love imparting their information and looking knowledgeable. Just think, if someone asks you a question you know a lot about, do you enjoy sharing this knowledge? Asking questions also builds relationships, shows people you are willing to learn and makes you more efficient in your role. All in all, a good way to increase your confidence!
Be Curious
We have just mentioned being inquisitive and asking questions but if you mix this with genuine curiosity you are onto a winner. Not only does this send a message out to people that you are eager to learn and thirsty for information, but it also signals that you are open to different work projects and practices. Ask if you can help someone out if something seems interesting to you. It's a double whammy of confidence building, you will get a positive reputation for helping people. You will also get to try something new you may like to do in the future and it will now seem a lot less daunting if you want to move into this type of work.
Ask for Feedback
Don't wait to be told that your work is on the right track; ask for feedback along the way. Doing this shows that you care about your work and what you do. Instead of worrying and waiting until the end of a project to see if you have done it right or wrong, engage in dialogue from the start of it. Getting feedback early on gives you the ability to correct a course or double down if it's on target. This tip alone can help elevate stress and build confidence.
Conclusion
Try all these tips, and you will start to become more confident as time goes by. A great tip is just to act confident! Yes, if you are not confident, we are saying fake it until you make it! Dress really well, carry yourself well, be positive and friendly, make eye contact with people and smile. If people think you are confident, they will treat you this way, and then you will start believing and feeling it, too! That is it; give it all a go and see where it takes you. We wish you all the best for the future!