For many professionals, self-confidence can be a major challenge. While this is true for many, this can be especially prominent with women. Dealing with the normal difficulties of navigating the workplace can be compounded with a sense of insecurity, a lack of self-assurance, and societal gender norms. If you want to become more confident at work on your road to a successful professional life, here are 5 ways to help you make positive change.
Expand Your Portfolio
If you aren’t feeling secure at work, it may be time to build up your confidence in your skills. Whether you go back to school to expand your formal education, attend professional development workshops or learn new skills, this can play a big part in feeling more comfortable and confident. Some skill-building can also create ripple effects, such as the case with sales skills which can help you be more confident at work and teach you also how you can sell yourself and the unique qualities and talents that you bring.
Be Mindful of Your Body Language
Many people don’t realize the critical importance of body language, especially in the world of business. Feeling insecure can present itself as a softer tone, slumped posture or lack of eye contact, all of which will signal to others that you aren’t confident or ready. This can become a cycle that is hard to break; however, even if you fake it until you make it, changing your body language can improve how you are perceived and how you perceive yourself.
Build up a Network
As a woman in business, you need to build a network, community and key group of advisors. This key group can help support you when you are questioning yourself, challenge you in important conversations and help you grow. Many other women have traversed these challenges before you and sharing in those stories to learn from each others’ experiences can be invaluable as you continue on.
Get Feedback From Those You Trust
Feedback is an essential asset for professionals; however, depending on the type of feedback, the source and its delivery it’s not always helpful. If your manager is unaware of their own bias in feedback and this can be gendered and harmful. This is why you need to make sure that in your key group of advisors and mentors, you solicit feedback that can help you grow, identify strengths and define areas of growth that can all help build your confidence.
Stop Getting in Your Own Way
If you spend so much time getting in your own way you’ll never succeed. While you can often be your own worst enemy and your harshest critic, you need to ensure that you don’t talk yourself out of future success before you have even given it a try. In life, you will fail, it is inevitable, but this doesn’t need to shake your confidence, you can see this as a chance for growth and not a personal failure and flaw.
If you want to succeed, you need to learn how to become more self-assured and confident in the amazing professional that you are. Take the chance on yourself and live a more positive, productive professional life.
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