Building Your Confidence At Work

Confidence is essential, not only if you want to excel in the corporate world, but in almost any endeavor in life. Building confidence, however, is easier said than done. Some say confidence is something you are born with, but you can actually develop it through practice. Here are some tips to get you started:

Don’t be afraid to ask questions and clarify. One of the most prominent reasons for the lack of self-confidence at work is because you are not sure if you are doing the task properly. Doubts cloud your mind to the point of hesitation and nervousness that you sometimes end up committing more mistakes than usual, when you could have had none at all.

If you find yourself in this situation, the best way to build confidence is to simply ask questions, clarify vague instructions, and request for feedback to help improve your work. If you still find yourself being shy at work or doubting your skills, then consider asking for help from your supervisor or colleague. Mastery is key in building self-confidence at work. The only way for you to be confident is to learn the job so thoroughly that you can do it in your sleep. If you know all the ins and outs of the job, then you won’t have any reason to feel insecure.

Value criticism. Critics are everywhere, and will spring into action every time something happens. Instead of joining the hate brigade, consider listening to them. Maybe your critics are on to something. Maybe they are trying to point out a few things that you have actually missed. Instead of feeling like a victim, think of yourself as a trainee in a dojo where your critics are the coaches telling you the reason why you got beat up so easily. Think of criticisms as stepping stones to your improvement.

Organize. A messy desk is a ticking time bomb so better streamline your work area. When your things are cluttered, you tend to waste a lot of time looking for whatever document or item you need. An organized work space builds confidence because it allows you to see things in order. You know that you can act fast during crunch time, and this is also a way to keep your self-confidence up. Being ready by being organized helps bring you peace of mind.

Develop your public speaking skills. Becoming proficient in public speaking would do wonders for your self-confidence, besides getting you noticed by management. Being able to deliver a speech well before many people is a rare skill that will prove useful in many situations where you need to push for your objectives.

Keep trying. You may have faced a lot of rejections at work—from your ideas being shot down by the board or your opinion becoming mere white noise at a meeting—but if you want to change this, keep trying. By doing something over and over, you get to learn how to adjust at work. You get to know what works, and what does not. This means that the next time you do something, it is the summation of all the things you have learned in your every attempt. One day, you’ll end up surprising yourself with a victory.

*Originally published by the Manila Bulletin. CC-4, Sunday, June 28, 2015. Written by Ruben Anlacan, Jr. (President, BusinessCoach, Inc.) All rights reserved. May not be reproduced or copied without express written permission of the copyright holders.