Self-belief is the foundation on which successful people build on. Whether you’re in a relationship, attending school, or in the workplace, the more confident you are about doing well, the more likely it’ll become a self-fulfilling prophesy.
On the flip side, a lack of confidence can carry negative outcomes. And in the sphere of work, missed opportunities—whether it’s not joining a project team or declining another networking event–sometimes happen simply because the employee lacked confidence.
In episode 62 of C-CRETS, we talked about the role confidence plays in an individual’s career and how it impacts their success.
You can’t win in the corporate arena if you don’t innately know that you, as a person, are a winner.
So how can you become more self-assured, and confident that you can climb the career ladder, and thrive no matter what your job throws your way? Keep reading, because we have five strategies for you.
1.Tune in to your unique insight
Your unique insight is the value that you bring to an organization based on your personal experiences and knowledge.
Having a job is an indication that your employer finds your contributions within the role at the organization valuable in some way. Therefore, you don’t need to question whether or not you can do your job well. Let’s move pass that and instead, ask yourself how the more confident version of yourself would think about the job. What would they do to add more value? Once you’ve answered the question, make a plan to take the necessary steps to achieve this.
In addition, your uniqueness includes set traits that either helps make your organization money or achieve a particular objective.
Whether it is your communication skills, financial acumen, or productivity, there is a trait specific to you that benefits the organization. Use this to feel more confident about yourself.
2. Get more knowledge
Becoming more knowledgeable in your respective field cannot be underestimated. People innately feel more confident when they’re certain about what they’re doing.
You can grow your expertise by seeking out more knowledge, whether it’s through reading books, attending webinars, taking courses, or by receiving mentorship. This will also enable you to become more prepared to answer questions from your colleagues and managers, and more confident in your decision-making ability.
You’re also more likely to speak up on matters, and addressed important issues, when you feel more competent about a subject.
3. Look the Part
Don’t show up to work with wrinkled pants and a shirt pulled out of the dryer expecting to feel your best.
At the end of the day, the time you take to prepare for work, will reflect on your appearance. And it may also play a part in how your colleagues treat you.
In our episode on executive presence, we spoke about the importance of appearance in climbing the corporate ladder. The truth is that no one’s going to take you seriously if you look a hot mess, or are not taking the adequate amount of time necessary to make a good impression.
It’s important that you make a good face-to-face impression, whether in-person or virtually. Besides that, it’s easier to appear confident when we truly have taken the time to put ourselves together. Remember it’s not only what you say and do that matters to making progress in the workplace. Like it or not, people are also looking at your appearance.
It can literally pay to be mindful of how you are presenting yourself.
4. Move beyond your comfort zone
You cannot succeed in corporate if you’re complacent and comfortable completing the same types of projects and fulfilling the same tasks repeatedly. At some point, you must step out of your comfort zone.
Tackling new tasks, even though they may be challenging, allows you to stretch yourself and furthers your growth. This helps fuel your confidence as you achieve something new.
You can actively move beyond your comfort zone when you choose to be on a team with coworkers you’ve never worked with before, apply for a job that seems like a stretch to you, or ask for a higher salary at a job interview.
Take on something new that’ll allow you to stretch and go pass your current belief of how things are done. When we move pass what’s comfortable for us and achieve success, we inadvertently boost our confidence.
5. Your Cheer Squad
Having someone else at work who affirms your contributions indicates your capability. Truth is, you would’ve been fired if you weren’t, at minimum, competent in what you do. Utilize any praise as social proof, and then take it a step further by honestly conducting a self-assessment to gauge both your strengths and weaknesses.
What can you work on improving? If you have a trusted cheer squad, get one or two tips on how to improve in this area. In addition, look at how you can leverage the strengths that you find during the assessment to increase your confidence.
At the end of the day, your employer and colleagues are not going to feel confident about you unless you first, believe in your own competence, and are confident in yourself.
These five confidence tips are not about doing a big overhaul in order to achieve the success at work that you desire.
Instead, they equate to knowing what small steps you can take today to improve and feel more confident. Start implementing these doable steps and watch your confidence grow.
