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BUSINESS: The Ultimate ResourceApril 2003 Upgrade #7

Bloomsbury Publishing Plc 2003

ACTIONLIST

Building Self-Confidence at Work

Getting Started

For those who have it, theres nothing special about self-confidence. But for people

without it, life is often a struggle to develop and maintain a sustaining belief in

themselves.

We all have moments of feeling great about ourselves: we know what we want andwere confident of our capacity to get it. When that self-confidence is lacking,

however, its hard to retrieve. The main culprit is fear, which conjures up an endless

succession of self-defeating what if scenarios. Developing self-confidence is largely

a matter of attacking that irrational and debilitating fear.

FAQs

Im frustrated by a member of my team who doesnt have the confidence tomake decisions. Even though this person knows the job well, Im alwayshaving to give directions. What should I do?

This person may have been undermined by making poor decisions in the past and

suffering the consequences. Or perhaps he or she has been overpromoted. The first

thing to do is to stop making other peoples decisions. Every time you make a

decision, you reinforce this persons dependency. Instead, turn this into a learning

exercise to help the person develop, or regain, the confidence to rely on his or her own

judgment. Solicit recommendations for solutions, perhaps starting with minor issues

and graduating to more important ones as you progressively withdraw your input.

Repeatedly validating this persons independent decisions should strengthen your

coworkers self-confidence.

I was recently promoted, and although I had lots of confidence in myformer job, Im beginning to doubt my own abilitiesthis is such newterritory for me. What can I do about this?

It is not uncommon for people to lose their confidence when placed in a new work

environment, 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.


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My organization is very traditional and decisions have to be madeaccording to rigid hierarchical protocols. This is having a negative effect onour managers self-confidence. How might we change this?

In organizations like yours, middle managers are generally omitted from the decision-

making process, and if they dont happen to agree with the decisions, they lose themotivation to follow through. The only solution is to change the way things are done

in the organization. This means having the courage to advocate more decentralized

decision making. It may help to focus your arguments on how such decentralization

can improve efficiency and profitability instead of promoting it as a morale-boosting

effort.

Making It Happen

Build a Confident Work Force

You cant fake self-confidence. It has to flow from a well-grounded belief in who youare, otherwise youll come across as brash and superficial.

Confidence is important in the workplace because it builds trusttrust builds

commitment, and commitment builds a quality product or service. Self-confident

employees use their initiative and make decisions that support organizational goals.

The additional benefits of improved morale and a happier work atmosphere are icing

on the cake.

The elements that build a confident work force are:

people having the knowledge and skills to fulfill 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 organizational objectives

Knowledge and Skills

Confidence at work comes from knowing what to do, how to do it, and when to do it.

Whether this know-how was learned in school or professional training or on the job, it

allows employees to work within clear boundaries of competence. They become

recognized for their abilities, reinforcing their self-image and building their self-

confidence. Putting employees into different jobs or assigning different, less-familiar

tasks is likely to shake their self-confidence. Cross-training your people so they have

transferable skills is one important way of keeping confidence high.


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Clear Job Objectives

Success promotes self-confidence, and success can be measured only when an

objective has been reached. Clear objectives allow employees to monitor their

progress and adjust their focus to help them achieve whats on their work horizon.

Without this framework, employees cant enjoy success, because success is neverdefined. Their enthusiasm and energy diminish, and so does their self-confidence.

Poorly articulated objectives cause more personal grief in organizations than almost

anything else. It is incredibly demoralizing to pour your energy into a professional

void.

Authority and Accountability in Decision Making

Well-managed organizations give employees authority and then hold them

accountable for their decisions. This is healthy for the organization, and essential for

employees if theyre to feel satisfied with their own achievements. Unfortunately, in

many organizations, authority and accountability are split, and people are heldaccountable even when they havent been given the authority to get the job done.

Having accountability without authority is one of employees chief complaints, and is

a source of enormous stress.

Recognition for Achieving Personal Goals

Although some people are internally driventhey dont need external recognition to

make them feel successfulmost people value some form of public appreciation.Even the simplest public gesture validates their contribution to the business and

increases their visibility, reinforcing self-confidence and enhancing their opportunities

for promotion and advancement.

Investment in Learning and Development

Many organizations these days are making their employees responsible for job-related

learning and professional development. This isnt always as cost-effective as it may

seem. Individuals are unlikely to appreciate the complexity of organizational goals or

understand how they can best contribute to achieving them. Employees should create

individual learning and development plans in collaboration with the organization,

which can provide support in the form of advice, time for study, or participation in

special projects. Either internal or external training or educational programs may be

appropriate, especially when employees need to gain specific skills or knowledge.

Investing in people has a measurable effect on their self-confidence and their ability

to add value. Employees need support to develop professionally. Their learning

should also challenge them to move beyond their comfort zones so they can master

new areas of achievement and continue to meet their own personal goals.

Celebration of Meeting Organizational Objectives

Finally, celebrations are very important. A celebration can be as simple as providing

refreshments for a high-performing team during a coffee break. It might be a large

formal function celebrating the attainment of certain organizational objectives orexceptional year-end results. All societies use celebrations to reinforce their shared


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purpose and reflect on their achievements. Organizational celebrations have the added

benefit of ensuring employees that they are an indispensable and valued part of the

business.

Work With Individuals

In addition to supporting a self-confident work force, organizations may have a role to

play in helping individual employees develop self-confidence, too. This isnt an

obvious corporate responsibility, but self-confident individuals promote a broader

organizational culture of confidence. Individual coaching or mentoring, buddy

systems, and co-coaching are all ways to help individuals develop self-confidence.

Good communication skills are the bedrock of self-confidence. Being able to

communicate effectively in any situationpresenting ideas to coworkers, building

rapport with clients, getting through to senior management, and engineering win/win

solutionsengenders a high degree of self-confidence. Self-assurance leads to both

self-respect and respect for others. Developing the communication skills of individualemployees pays large organizational dividends.

Common Mistakes

You Cant Let Go

Many managers fear that allowing their people the freedom to make decisions will

disrupt the status quo and result in a loss of control. But keeping tight managerial

reins on decision making is likely to alienate team members, undermine the

confidence they have in their own abilities, and interfere with the teams

effectiveness. Learn to let go and create an environment in which future stars can riseand be recognized.

For More Information

Books:

Hiam, Alexander.Motivating and Rewarding Employees: New and Better Ways to

Inspire Your People. Avon, MA: Adams Media Corporation, 1999.

Klubnik, Joan P.Rewarding and Recognizing Employees: Ideas for Individuals,

Teams, and Managers. New York: McGraw Hill, 1996.

Web Sites:

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

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

Top Education.compart of Top Telemedia Ltd, India:www.top-

education.com/Management/manconfidence.asp

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