Sometimes, what holds us back from progressing in our line of work is ourselves.
Being under-confident can be detrimental to our job satisfaction. Feeling bouts of imposter-syndrome is normal for anyone. However, if it is affecting you daily, it is perhaps something to start chipping away at. With the support of your employer and a little bit of self-help, you should be able to feel much more deserving and confident in your job position.
Be critical, not self-destructive
There is absolutely nothing wrong with being self-critical. Analyzing what you could have done better each time you reach the end of a project helps you move forward in terms of your ability and knowledge. However, sometimes there’s a fine line where being self-critical crosses into being self-destructive. It can be made worse with an unhelpful of a high-pressure team at work. Instead of picking apart your work, remember to analyze what it was you did well, and be realistic about why it wasn’t perfect. No one is capable of being flawless.
Ask for better leadership and guidance
In order to gain confidence in your role, you should be receiving authoritative advice on how to improve and progress. If you don’t feel as if you are receiving the guidance you deserve, then asking for better one-to-one time will ensure that you have some advice to help you in your role. There’s also something to be said for speaking your mind to get the leadership you need, which, in itself, is a great way for boosting your confidence. A good employer will not punish you for asking for help.
On top of this, you should ask for appropriate training. If you have recently been put in a managerial position and don’t feel particularly secure, then you should be placed on a leadership and management training course.
Set deadlines
While this may seem like an odd technique, setting yourself a deadline for work projects and tasks serves as a reminder to yourself that you absolutely can do the job. Knowing that you will meet your deadline and can carry out your project to fruition will give you a target to strive towards. If you have to fake it until you make it during the first few deadlines, then so be it. Ultimately you are proving to yourself that you are more than capable of doing your job and meeting your targets. Each time you start a new project, give yourself something new to learn or something to push yourself just that little bit further. This will prove to you that not only are you meeting your targets, but you are also expanding and growing as an employee.
Some workers seem to have been born with a natural sense of confidence; however, the truth is that you don’t know who is faking it until they make it, and who is supported by years of experience that you one day might have. Sometimes confidence comes with a little bit of prior knowledge and a bit of support, both of which can easily be achieved.
