The first day of school or work is a mixture of enthusiasm and anxiety. New expectations and a whole new ambience with innumerable questions popping up in your mind. Is it going to be tough? Will I be accepted by my colleagues? What if I can’t meet the target? To answer these questions, you first need to gain some workplace confidence.
Having workplace confidence is important to every employee. Lack of self-confidence in a workplace lowers your self-esteem and affects your productivity. Confidence and self-esteem are not qualities acquired by birth but qualities that you attain through practice irrespective of your age.
Factors affecting workplace confidence
Self-confidence is often confused with ego. There’s a world of difference between the two. If you’re faced with constructive criticisms, the thought that says your opinions are superior is not self-confidence. It is ego. Whereas, self-confidence is the ability to accept such criticisms, mould your thoughts and better it in the future. It is healthier than the ego, which’s more toxic. There might be hindrances to it, but to overcome them is one’s strength!
Boss-employee relationship: If your boss turns out to be one of the biggest nightmares you can ever have, your workplace confidence is in big trouble. This very thought can destroy your confidence.
Influence of peers: You are a social being who lives in society by communicating and interacting with others. Consequently, your peer group has a large influence on your lifestyle. A friendly atmosphere creates a positive workspace for you.
Lack of self-esteem: Your mind has the capacity to manipulate you in different ways. If you decide for yourself that you lack self-esteem, your body responds in such a way that it has no self-esteem.
Lack of decision-making skills: The fear of going wrong or making a mistake affects your self-confidence. Therefore, you have to decide what should be done at the moment so that you don’t have to rush to fulfil the duties assigned to you.
How to develop workplace confidence?
Find out the reasons for your fear. There might be many reasons for you to be scared of something. Some similar experience which had affected you previously or the fear of failing no matter the number of times you attempt it are some of the reasons. Finding out the root cause of the fear and thinking it over helps to overcome and help in better performance.
Improve self-esteem: A positive attitude can always be the cure for low self-esteem. Avoiding the thought that you are not good enough or you cannot perform better than your colleagues improves your self esteem. Trust in yourself and adopt an ‘I can’ attitude to your challenges. A positive perspective elevates your emotional status. Finding out your strength can improve your self-esteem while discovering your weakness and trying to implement ways to perform better improves your self-esteem. Through this, you garner workplace confidence.
Set new goals: When you are ready to transform to improve yourself, you will have to set new goals to boost your confidence. This helps to motivate and polish your talents and perform better. Once you reach your goal, you can push the bars to the next level.
Relationship with your boss: It is very important that you keep a good relationship with your boss. Building proper communication creates a friendly and comfortable atmosphere to work with.
Other methods: When you are stressed out, a walk around the building or listening to soft music helps to improve your mental state. Proper meditation, a cold shower and avoiding negative languages can also help. Trying to take criticism positively plays a key role in improving workplace confidence. Taking pride in what you have done so far is good unless it does not dominate you.
It is important to know your worth and capability in your workplace. In order to achieve that, considering your colleagues as equals and offering them possible help can improve your self-esteem and elevate your self-confidence. Do not procrastinate and be persistent in your work. With all these methods in your possession, you can ace your presence in the workplace with confidence.
