Building Confidence at Work

Building Confidence at Work

Getting Started

Confidence, for those who are blessed with it, is unremarkable. For those who do not have it, it is an extraordinarily difficult quality to develop and sustain. We all have moments when our confidence blossoms—when we feel good about ourselves, have the knowledge we need to overcome any doubts, and are able to achieve a goal, however large or small. So we know what we are missing when confidence is lacking and, in the act of noticing its absence, diminish the possibility of bringing it back to the surface. Fear is the main emotion that undermines confidence, the ‘what if’ scenarios that we conjure up in our minds. It is this largely irrational fear that needs to be addressed because, until it is, confidence can never be truly established.

FAQs

I am concerned about a member of my team who doesn’t have the confidence to make decisions. Even though this person knows the job well, I am always having to give directions. What should I do?

This person may have lost confidence by making poor decisions in the past and suffering the consequences for them. Or the person may have been promoted beyond his or her level of competence. The first thing to do with people like this is to stop telling them what their decisions should be. Every time you make a decision, you are only creating greater dependency. Instead, turn this into a learning exercise. Begin to ask them to suggest or recommend their own solution, however small it might be at first. Eventually you will wean them off their dependence on your expertise. They clearly have the knowledge; now all you need to do is help them regain, or develop, the confidence to act on their own. After you validate their recommendations a few times, their confidence will improve and their demands on you will lessen.

I have recently been promoted, and although I had lots of confidence in my former role, I am now beginning to doubt my own abilities—this is such new territory for me. What can I do about this?

It is not uncommon for people to lose their confidence when placed in a new work context, and they are often tempted to go back to their old comfort zone. When a return route is not open to them, they may try superimposing familiar activities on to their new role. In this case, the problem is more likely to be a lack of knowledge or skills than not being able to perform well. Feedback, coaching, and rewards for small successes will enable you to leverage your talent and build the confidence you need to succeed.

My organisation is very traditional and decisions have to be taken according to rigid hierarchical protocols. This is having a negative effect on the confidence of our managers. What can be done to alter this?

In organisations like yours, middle managers are generally omitted from the decisionmaking process, and if they don’t happen to agree with the decisions, they lose the motivation to follow through. In order to reverse this trend, a change in the way things are done in the organisation is necessary. This means having the courage to advocate a more decentralised decision-making system. It may help to focus your arguments on how such a move would improve efficiency and profitability, rather than simply being a morale-boosting effort.

Making It Happen

Build a confident workforce

Confidence cannot be put on like a coat—it has to be rooted firmly in the psyche. If you play-act at having confidence, it comes across as empty or brash. It may help you get through a situation, but it won’t fuel the development of this quality in the longer term.

Confidence is important in the workplace because it builds trust—trust builds  commitment, and commitment builds a quality product or service. It also enables people to use their initiative and make decisions that support organisational goals. For these reasons alone, it is desirable to have a confident workforce, but the additional benefits of improved morale and a happier work atmosphere are the icing on the cake.

The elements that build a confident workforce are:

• people having the knowledge and skills to fulfil their roles
• clear objectives for individuals and teams
• authority in decision-making and accountability for those decisions
• recognition for achieving personal goals
• investment in employee learning and development
• opportunities to meet new challenges
• celebration of meeting organisational objectives

Knowledge and skills

Confidence at work comes from knowing what to do, how to do it, and when to do it. This know-how may be learned in a college or university setting, or it may have been developed on the job. Whatever its source, it allows employees to work within clear

boundaries of competence. They become recognised for their abilities, reinforcing their self-image and building their confidence. If they are put into a different job where they do not have the same level of familiarity, their confidence may be shaken. In creating a confident workforce, therefore, care must be taken to ensure everyone has transferable skills.

Clear role objectives

Confidence often increases with success, and success can only be measured when a goal or objective has been reached. Clear objectives allow employees to monitor their progress and adjust their focus in order to achieve what is on their work horizon. Roles without this level of clarity prevent the employee from enjoying success, because no one has defined success in that context. After a while in this type of atmosphere, people’s enthusiasm and level of energy diminish, along with their role/job confidence. Poorly articulated objectives cause more personal grief in organisations than almost anything else. It is incredibly disconcerting to find that you are pouring energy into a professional void.

Authority and accountability in decision-making

Giving someone authority and then holding them accountable for their decisions is not only healthy for the organisation, but also essential for the individual, if she or he is to feel satisfied with what has been achieved. It is common, however, to find that the two have been separated, and the person is held accountable even when they haven’t been given the full authority to get the job done properly. Having accountability with no authority is one of the most stressful situations imaginable.

Recognition for achieving personal goals

Although some people are internally driven—they don’t need external recognition to make them feel as though they have succeeded—most people value some form of public appreciation. This validates their contribution to the business and increases their visibility, thus reinforcing confidence and enhancing their opportunities for promotion and advancement.

Investment in learning and development

Rather than taking it on as an employer’s duty, many organisations these days are placing responsibility for learning and development on the individual. However, you wouldn’t leave the maintenance of a sophisticated machine to chance, so why leave the responsibility for learning and development with employees? Individuals may not fully understand the goals of the business, and therefore, the kind of development that would serve it well. Learning and development should be jointly planned and agreed upon by the individual and the organisation. Organisational support should be given by way of advice, time for study, or participation in special projects. Internal or external training programmes may be appropriate, especially when there are specific skills or areas of knowledge that need to be developed. When a business invests in its people, it has a very positive effect on employees’ confidence and their ability to add value. Not only should people be given the support to learn and develop, but they should also be challenged to move beyond their comfort zones. This enables them to find new areas of achievement and seek new heights.

Celebration of meeting organisational objectives

Finally, celebrations are very important. A celebration can be as simple as providing a selection of cakes for a high-performing team during a coffee break. Or, you can host large-scale functions to celebrate the attainment of certain organisational objectives or exceptional year-end results. Celebrations exist in every aspect of society, and not only give life a sense of purpose, but also a feeling of achievement. This essential social activity needs to be embraced by organisations so that everyone feels that they are an indispensable, appreciated part of the business.

Work with individuals

Beyond building confidence in the workforce, there is scope to build confidence on an individual basis too. Although this may not be considered the domain of the organisation, confident individuals contribute to the general swell of confidence in the workforce. Working with individuals personally through coaching or mentoring programmes can be effective, and ‘buddy’ systems or co-coaching arrangements can also strengthen confidence and create a solid foundation from which it can grow. One of the essential ingredients of confidence is having good communication skills. If an individual feels that they can communicate effectively in any situation—conveying thoughts to colleagues, building rapport with difficult clients, getting through to senior management, and so on—their levels of confidence are often high. Confident, effective communication, which leads to win/win solutions, encourages self-respect and respect for others, so it is well worth considering how to build communication skills among individual employees, as well throughout the workforce in general.

Common Mistakes

You can’t let go

Many managers feel that allowing their people the freedom to make decisions will disrupt the status quo and result in a loss of control. Due to this fear, they control the decision-making, and alienate their team in the process. Keeping strict control can actually disable the team and undermine the confidence they have in their own abilities. It is important to let go and create an environment where stars can rise and successors can be recognised.

The Best Sources of Help

Books:

Hiam, Alexander. Motivating and Rewarding Employees. Avon, Massachusetts: Adams Media Corporation, 1999.

Klubnik, Joan. Rewarding and Recognizing Employees: Ideas for Individuals, Teams, and Managers. New York: McGraw Hill, 1996.

Websites:

Business Town.com: www.businesstown.com/people/motivation-team.asp

More Self Esteem.com: www.more-selfesteem.com

Top Education.com—part of Top Telemedia Ltd, India: www.topeducation.

com/Management/manconfidence.asp