Photo: Getty Images
Find yourself reluctant to share your views during a big meeting at the office? Lots of us shy away from speaking up at work. Not everyone is born with self-confidence, but it is something you can improve over time. And being self-assured is important to your career success.
Confident employees are happier and more productive, plus, when we feel better about ourselves, our performance at work tends to thrive.
So how do we boost our confidence at work? Career and life coach Caroline Castrillon shares these strategies to get you on the right track.
- Focus on strengths - People often focus on their shortcomings instead of on areas where they excel. But concentrating on your strengths can help increase your confidence because it forces you to acknowledge your abilities and successes. So make a list of yours and anytime you need a boost, take the list out and read it to remind you where you shine.
- Find confident mentors - Look for people at work that you’d like to emulate and then ask them if they’d consider mentoring you. Pay attention to the way they communicate and practice mirroring their body language and postures to help project self-confidence, even if you’re just faking it until you make it.
- Build on your skills - Learning a new skill at work or further developing a specific talent can help increase your confidence. You may improve your performance and increase productivity, which can make you feel more self-assured.
- Change your inner dialogue - If your self-talk is always critical or judgmental, work on being kinder to yourself. Writing down the professional skills you admire about yourself and celebrating your successes on the job, even the small wins, can go a long way in boosting your confidence at work.
- Practice, practice, practice - Be patient because change doesn’t happen overnight. But slowly moving outside your comfort zone by making a goal to share one idea or ask one question in every meeting can help you build up the confidence you need to succeed.
Getty Images