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There are any number of reasons you can lack confidence at work:

• You may fear losing your job
• You may not get on well with your boss
• You may not have all the skills you need to complete the tasks your given
• You may be bullied by co-workers
• You may feel you’re not as good as some co-workers
• You may have too much riding on keeping your position.

It seems there are as many reasons for lacking confidence at work as there are people working. It is important to identify where your lack of confidence is coming from and then actively work on how to deal with it.

In order to improve your confidence level you must first start to look at who you are and what you want from your life and career. The majority of people never venture into this realm of self-analysis thinking it to be too scary, holistic mumbo jumbo, or believing it to be too much like navel gazing. This cannot be further from the truth, in order to have a healthy level of confidence (not too much and not too little) you must know what your goals are and to know your goals you have to know who you are. Would you go grocery shopping without first having some idea of what you need to buy, or what you like to eat?

Having a healthy level of confidence helps you step outside your comfort zone and take on more challenging projects that, which will, in turn, show your employer that you have the characteristics they are looking for and tells them that they can trust you to deliver on time and on budget.

If you don’t know who you really are you cannot be self-assured and project self-confidence. Co-workers and bosses will see through false or forced confidence and it will show in the work you do. It’s worth taking the time to figure out who you are and where you are going, so you can start living your life and building your career in a rewarding way and earn the respect of co-workers, bosses and clients.

So, how can you project confidence at work? Here are 5 ways to start seeing yourself in a different light:

Believe in Yourself

You got you this far, you learned to walk, you learned to run, you learned everything you needed to bring you to this point in your life. So, before you go to bed each night tell yourself 3 things that are good about you and give yourself a mantra for when you think things are tough, for example “I CAN DO THIS”.

Identify and Acknowledge Your Strengths and Use them

Just as you would a “To Do List”, make and keep a list of your skills and strengths that you bring to this job, project or team, and look at it frequently. This will make you more engaged and self-assured.

Identify Your Weaknesses

Identifying your weaknesses allows you to work on them and shows others that you are human and that you are willing to do all you can to succeed.

Seek Out Mentors and Encouragement

Others may see talents in you that you don’t see in yourself. They can give you encouragement and insight, whilst suggesting ways to build skills or contacts.

Have a Positive Attitude

I’m not suggesting that you have to always be happy, but a smile and willingness to see and discuss another option can show your colleagues/boss that you are resilient and focus on solutions rather than problems.

This should give you a good starting point to build your confidence level and become a good leader. You will also enjoy the feeling of being a key player in building your career and future. But remember it takes time and practice to build true confidence, it will not happen overnight.

TTFN

Amanda