Gaining
confidence in your work can be pretty tough as anyone doing business will
testify. It took me a few months after getting my first job before I got
anything that could even be remotely characterized as confidence. However, that
confidence was short lived as I was forced to take employment elsewhere within
a few months.
Nonetheless,
over the years I have become comfortable working at any new job. Thanks to
years of experience, I welcome the change as my confidence levels have risen
incredibly. Often I ponder, what made me different in those initial years that
shape a person’s career. The answers, as I found out, were pretty amusing.
However, let us begin by examining what lends credence to confidence at work.
Admittedly, there
are several advantages to being confident about your work which lead to:
·
Superior
performance
·
Job
satisfaction
·
Excellent
relations with seniors
·
Opportunity
to train juniors
·
Upgrade
of skills
·
More
money
·
Bonding
with colleagues
·
Stable
career
·
Flexibility
to switch jobs easily
·
Better
family life
Sadly,
this is where most people fail. Gaining confidence in
your work is pretty simple. Anyone with basic qualifications required for the
job and some interpersonal skills will fetch you required results. You need not
be a beautiful woman or handsome male to develop confidence at work.
However, you do need to switch on your charm wherever and whenever
needed.
Here are 10
practical ways to gain more confidence in your work:
1. Know
thyself
Simply
put, it implies knowing your strengths and shortcomings better. You could be a
fresher or just taking a new job. Regardless of your experience and skills, it
is always better to know what you are capable of delivering for your employer.
If you continue to lack confidence despite being with an employer for fairly
long, you will need to identify your own flaws and pinpoint the causes. Blaming
your colleagues or employers will not help since they cannot be expected to
change.
2. Learn
something new everyday
A
majority of employees lose confidence because they are reluctant to learn
something new, unless it is foisted upon them. The common perception among
senior staff is, they know better than newcomers. Sadly, they tend to forget
that a newcomer arrives with fresher knowledge. Some of the best ideas have
indeed come from new recruits rather than veterans. Learning something new
daily keeps you abreast with the latest developments in your particular field.
3. Ask for help
Remember,
we all get stuck somewhere during our daily work, regardless of whatever
experience we possess. Often, there can be situations at work where we simply
are at loss about how to manage a situation. If such circumstances arise, which
they will, never hesitate to seek help from colleagues. Getting assistance from
colleagues fosters team spirit. Further, you add experience to your set of
skills and possibly, learn something new.
4. Enjoy what you do
It
is quite common for everyone to lose interest in their job at some point in
time. Usually, this occurs if you have worked at an employer for too long. As a
result, you no longer enjoy what you were accustomed to. The only way to
overcome this malaise is to take pleasure in your duties. You can do so by
finding newer, innovative ways to do your job daily. You might just get lucky,
like most people who do so, and find a better, efficient way to boost your
performance.
“Do
what you love. Know your own bone; gnaw at it, bury it, unearth it, and gnaw it
still.” – Henry David Thoreau
5. Set your
daily targets
Generally,
every employer will set a target for you, which will help you know how much
work you need to complete before calling it a day. However, merely meeting your
target does not exactly qualify you for promotions or salary raise.
Instead, set your own goals
and targets daily. Try to meet and exceed your own targets.
Remember to ensure that you maintain consistent quality of work. While quantity
does matter, quality makes a difference. More so, if you are doing a job better
than what is expected.
6. Attend
training programs
Usually,
companies conduct training programs for their employees to upgrade skills. Very
often, some employees skip these programs and focus on their routine work
instead. This can be a fatal career mistake and can play havoc with your work
confidence. Skipping a training program means missing opportunities to develop
your skills and learn something new. Therefore, view these training sessions or
programs as tools to fine-tune or enhance your skills and attend.
7. Never gossip
Unfortunately,
unhealthy gossip about colleagues and getting into petty office politics is the
surest route to diffidence. It subconsciously as well as consciously builds
animosity towards people who otherwise would make excellent friends. Unhealthy
gossip and politics also pits you against your colleagues and leads to a
miasmatic work ambience that is best avoided. The best way to boost your confidence
at work is shun gossip mongers and stay off petty politicians. They may get
some perverse pleasure in bitching about others but generally, it will revolt
against your nature and lead to negative feelings.
8. Avoid
overtime unless necessary
Generally,
overtime work is for getting extra pay. Understandably, you may require some
extra cash for some commitment or to buy better stuff for your kin or self.
However, frequent overtime work robs you of confidence by taking away vital
time from your entertainment, recreation and quality time with family.
Consequently, you end up with domestic issues that can burgeon into major
family discords, leading to loss of confidence and overall interest in your
work.
9. View
criticism positively
Criticism,
viewed positively, builds you up. It brings to the surface flaws and
inadequacies you were blind about. Instead of brooding and letting your spirits
droop due to criticism, learn to accept it as an opportunity to work on your
shortcomings. Of course, there can be occasions where you may feel you are
being targeted or singled out for criticism. However, such situations or
singling out gives you an opportunity to know why someone made adverse remarks
about your work.
“I
like constructive criticism from smart people.” – Prince
10. Speak it out
Most
people afflicted with lack of confidence in work tend to be introverts. Rather,
they tend to be coy and do not speak about their work related issues with their
seniors. Remember, this can cost you dearly. You can lose your job if you stay
silent on any issue that bothers you. The best person to speak about your job
related issues is someone higher up than your immediate supervisor or senior.
That is because your direct boss may have some hidden agenda in keeping you
demoralized. If you have genuine reasons to lose confidence in a company or
employer, approach the higher ups.
Kindly Note : All ideas and materials presented herein are for informational and educational purposes only, and is not intended for commercial or trading purposes. Neither does it mean to misguide anyone. Kindly make informed decisions on your own risk. Neither livettcelearn.blogspot.in website nor any of its owner shall be liable for any errors or delays in the content or for any actions taken in reliance thereon.
No comments:
Post a Comment