Tips for Increasing Confidence at Work
There are many people who don’t feel all that confident at work for whatever reason. It may be that they are in a new position and haven’t had the time to settle fully into their new role yet, or perhaps the onboarding process at their new workplace left a lot to be desired and they are not 100% sure they have been told everything that they should have been.
“Fake it Till You Make It”
There are many ways to boost confidence at work and one of the best is to fake it until you make it. If you appear to be confident, people will assume that you are and this will give them the impression that you are competent, which matches this image. When you hear other people talking about you and assuming you are very able and competent, this will increase your own confidence. This, in essence, is how “fake it till you make it” works.
Dress More Professionally
Pay more attention to the way you dress and be sure to “dress for success”. If you are working in an office environment where smart but casual is the order of the day, be sure to veer toward the smarter side of smart/casual. When you look your best, this always gives you a confidence boost and the comments from others on how well you are dressed should serve to bump up your confidence levels as well.
If you wear quite alternative clothing outside of work, it may be possible to bring some of your style into the workplace without penalty. Some workplaces are now a lot more understanding of brightly coloured hair and piercings, though some will still frown on them. Be sure you know which your workplace is and ensure that you are able to adapt your look accordingly.
If you attend a conference for work, you should be sure to dress smartly because you will be representing the company. This will also give you the chance to expand your professional network, so you want to be taken seriously and make a good first impression on the people that you meet.
If there are other people from your company speaking at the conference, ask how someone becomes a speaker, and consider putting yourself forward to speak at a future conference.
Learn New Skills
One of the best investments you will even make is in your own professional development. If you are not offered the chance to learn new skills through your workplace, consider taking courses outside of work that will equip you with the skills that you need to succeed. Take courses that are relevant to your work and to potential career progression where you can.
There has never been a better time to learn new skills as you can now take many courses on the internet and remotely rather than having to make the trek to do so in person at a further education college campus.
Many websites such as YouTube have free online course content in all kinds of areas and other websites such as LinkedIn Learning will ask you to pay for their courses. Most of the online courses don’t have an internationally recognised certification at the end and if that is what you are looking for, the Open University, which pioneered distance learning decades ago is probably your best bet.
Lead a Mastermind / Skillshare Session
Having enhanced your skills, you will be far better equipped to deal with the rigours of everyday office life and your confidence should slowly improve as a result. If you have become exceptional in a particular area, let your colleagues know you are happy to do a “Mastermind / Skillshare session” on a particular subject. This is where one team member explains how to do something that they have a particular aptitude for and answers questions from the rest of the attendees.
Leading a Mastermind or Skillshare session helps you to appear to be confident to the rest of the people in your company and they will reflect upon your expertise in the area that you are leading the Skillshare session on and assume that you are a lot more confident than you actually feel.
Escape Your Comfort Zone
You may not be too comfortable leading a Mastermind / Skillshare session and this is exactly why it is important to do them. It is only by doing things that challenge you that you will grow. Embrace the challenge that is inherent in taking on such a task and expand from there.
If there is a task that sounds intimidating to you, be sure to volunteer to do it. Is there a presentation to be done in front of the entire company? You should offer to do it. You will be surprised how quickly this has you noted for being one to watch and puts you on the fast track to leadership.
Befriend New Members of Staff
Make the time to meet new members of staff and make sure they have all of the support that they need to settle in. Make sure they know that you are available to them if they need any help, or signposting to how to deal with a particular issue.
By doing this, you challenge yourself to find out all the relevant information as well, and some people find it easier to do when they are doing it to help someone else. Many people have a kind of mental block when it comes to taking positive actions that help themselves and this is an elegant way to circumvent it, while also helping someone else.
The Next Level
Sharing your skills openly with your colleagues and answering questions, taking on the difficult tasks, helping those who are new. All of these things are the mark of a good leader and this is where the benefit lies. In doing all of these actions to improve your self-confidence, you are also increasing the confidence of others in the abilities that you possess and this can only be a positive development for you and your prospects of career progression.
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