You know that the workplace is changing; the “new normal” of work has been developing throughout 2021. Now that we’re halfway through the year, it’s a smart time to take stock of your organization and its priorities. One of those priorities should be developing confidence in the workplace for your employees.
Confidence in the workplace can look different for different teams, just depending on their needs, roles, and your company’s culture when it comes to developing employees.
In general, it means that your employees are encouraged to share openly, to take chances without fear of retribution or failure. It also means that communication is a priority for your leaders and team members.
Confidence might not seem like a tangible, measurable skill for the workplace, but it’s becoming increasingly important as the need for so-called “soft skills” only rises.
“Soft skills are ‘soft’ due to their being hard to measure objectively. Often, we call them personal skills,” we’ve shared before. “When we say soft skills, think about skills such as leadership qualities, working together with your teammates, listening to others, or inspiring an audience.”
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These skills are crucial to developing confidence in the workplace because expectations for leaders and workers have changed. Workers want to follow leaders who are emotionally intelligent and invested in their teams; according to Forbes, 96% of employees believe showing empathy is an important way to advance employee retention.
Confidence comes from creating a collaborative and healthy workplace; boosting the confidence of everyone in the workplace will improve company culture and communication.
The downfalls of losing confidence at work are substantial. Here are a few of the ways a lack of confidence will affect you in the workplace.
If you can’t advocate for yourself in the workplace, you’re going to get skipped over for promotions and development opportunities like certifications or training. You need to believe in yourself and steer your own path; a lack of confidence will hinder that direction.
Research from The Journal of Economic Psychology has shown that higher self-esteem is directly related to earning potential and salary. Unfortunately, that means the opposite is implied: lower self-esteem will translate to a lower income.
If you’re not supported in your workplace, you’re likely to suffer from high levels of stress. If you’re not confident in both your abilities and the support you’re offered by your leaders and peers, you’re going to second guess yourself and negatively impact your performance.
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Now you know the consequences of poor self-confidence; what are the benefits? What can you and your team expect to enjoy after you nurture self-confidence in the workplace?
When you are aware and confident in your work and abilities, you will become more articulate and capable of sharing your thoughts and feelings.
Conflict will likely decrease as well since 49% of workplace conflicts are caused by warring egos. If your team can achieve security without ego, those conflicts can decrease and communication will improve.
There’s a reason why self-actualization is at the top of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs; achieving your full potential is a basic human desire.
Gaining confidence in the workplace will help you pursue the things you want and need in your role. You can help mold your position to fulfill you, instead of molding yourself to fit the position.
The pursuit of creative fulfillment will also help you maintain a growth mindset, which is crucial for long-term success.
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As you’ve noticed by now, a big theme of achieving confidence in the workplace comes from self-advocacy. A huge benefit of that work is being able to set healthy boundaries between your work life and personal life.
More and more people are realizing that their work supports their life, not the other way around. Leaders and employers should embrace this change, not fear it, and understand their team’s needs to best support their engagement.
You know the risks, you know the benefits: now how do you actually create a culture of confidence in the workplace? Here are a few ways you can get started.
The first step to building confidence in your team is starting with assessments. Using behavioral assessments is an excellent way to begin to foster a culture of confidence in your organization since assessments give everyone a working knowledge of their capabilities and a shared language to help them understand others more clearly.
Once your team has a basic foundational understanding of their strengths and weaknesses, it’s time to put in the work.
By hosting workshops on presentation skills, offering leadership training, and bringing in expert coaches or consultants to help your team improve communication, you will be well on your way to increasing confidence across the board.
One of the best ways to help people become more confident in their roles is to provide positive representation. If they can see and learn from a person with a similar background to them who has made it in their field, their confidence will increase.
Establishing a mentorship program in your team will help people who are just at the beginning of their careers as well as veterans in the industry increase their confidence.
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By creating a culture of confidence in your organization, you will be improving communication, increasing engagement, and giving your team what they need to thrive as individuals and as members of your organization.
Get the tools you need to build confidence and move forward. If you’re interested in working with TTI SI, our tools can help transform your organization. Get the information you need to move forward here.