How do you get self-confidence at work? Here are some tips to achieve this and be able to function at your full potential!
Getting to know your strengths and areas for improvement
“People who know themselves well have more self-confidence, because they know where their talents are,” summarizes Jacinthe Ouellet, occupational psychologist and coach at SPB Organizational Psychology. The goal is to identify what is your “contribution value”, in other words, what makes you unique.
Using your talents to get out of your comfort zone
Confidence is like a muscle that needs to be trained regularly. With well-targeted strengths, the next step is to give yourself challenges to get out of your comfort zone. Jacinthe Ouellet recommends proceeding gradually, so as not to “fall into the panic zone.” Using these steps, you increase our tolerance for mistakes, a fundamental factor in developing greater self-confidence.
Celebrating your successes
With each risk taken, it’s important to “celebrate the small victories, the small steps and to dissect them,” says Jacinthe Ouellet. By analyzing what contributed to this happy result, you can repeat this strategy in future situations.
Engaging with colleagues to complete a given task
We naturally respect people who honour their promises. An assignment completed on time gives us greater credibility with our employer and co-workers and will demonstrate our consideration for others.
Learning to acquire new skills
“A skill is developed all life long,” points out Caroline Boyce, talent acquisition manager at American Iron & Metal. And it’s also true for non-verbal as well as leadership skills! For example, you can practise giving convincing handshakes to the people around you or put yourself into situations where you can develop leadership, whether as a volunteer, involvement in a board of directors or managing your children’s’ extracurricular activities.
Building your knowledge
“People often think that credibility comes with knowledge,” notes Caroline Boyce. There are many tools to enrich your knowledge on a specific subject, whether through courses, books or by looking for a professional mentor. Enriched knowledge means increased credibility… and therefore improved confidence!
Dare to give your opinion
“Self-affirmation is really the corollary of confidence,” says Mrs. Ouellet, who has seen in her practise that people often do not dare to give their opinion out of a fear of not expressing themselves well. By equipping yourself with tools such as the non-violent communication of Marshall B. Rosenberg, you will give the impression of speaking with a safety net rather than jumping into the void.
Finding people who will give you confidence
In your network, some people make you feel good – according to psychologist Jacinthe Ouellet, they give the opportunity to seek out positive and constructive feedback. “Confidence is developed in the first place with people with whom you have good relationships, people you love,” explains Caroline Boyce. “You have to practice at home before being able to tell your customer or supervisor that you don’t agree with the decision he has made.”
Considering criticism as a vector of change
One of the most effective strategies to gain self-confidence is to take a fresh look at criticism. Feedback is an integral part of work, and sometimes it is made awkwardly or offensively. For occupational psychologist Jacinthe Ouellet, it is important to “work on distancing, depersonalizing events,” “to balance things” and to see what element in the criticism can be applied for improvement.
It is a tip that resonates with talent acquisition director Caroline Boyce, for whom openness to criticism constitutes a major factor in hiring. “If you have good judgement and are open to improving, there is nothing that can stop you,” she concludes.