Confidence can take you places. Even if you are working a desk job, being confident can bring valuable opportunities that will help you grow as a professional. With confidence, you get to communicate with coworkers effectively, make decisions even under pressure, and boost your day-to-day performance.
The best thing is that you don’t have to be born confident, and you can train yourself to become more confident each day at work. Aim to impress and show your capacity as an effective worker using these easy tips:
1. Be open to others
Confidence starts with developing a desire to connect with people. Whether you are interacting with a client or a co-worker, it pays to show the other person your enthusiasm to engage. The key here is to be yourself and say what you think.
Don’t keep your thoughts to yourself. As long as they are relevant to the conversation, share them. Never let your shyness get in the way of making an authentic connection. If you want to appeal to people, start by being vocal and open yourself up.
2. Be a good listener
Having the courage to talk should come with the eagerness to listen. Confident people make the effort to understand a conversation before giving a response. They are aware that a conversation shouldn’t always revolve around them. It’s a way of showing respect and an eagerness to connect.
If you initiate a conversation, give time for the other person to respond. Don’t attempt to interject when they aren’t finished. Give them time and wait for the right moment to present your side. If you missed out on a crucial piece of information, politely ask the other person to repeat it. This time, listen more intently so you won’t have to ask them again.
Anyone can listen during a conversation, but only a confident person can have the ability to stay focused on what others are saying.
3. Manage your expectations
You can’t expect people to engage in a certain way. We don’t always get what we want, but confidence isn’t about putting your expectations above others. Your co-workers may not have the same views as you, but that’s fine.
It becomes a problem when you retreat to your shell if things aren’t going your way. The truth is that not everything will. Don’t set high expectations for how you interact with others. Stay grounded by acknowledging the fact that you can’t control everything. The sooner you realize that, the closer you get to the people within your circle.
4. Dress for success
Confidence goes beyond having the “right” physical features. Much of it comes from the way you present yourself to people at the office.
You can look professional by wearing simple yet appealing clothes. You don’t need to wear too many accessories just to stand out. All you need is to wear the right styles and colors that match your personality. If you have a beard, keep it trimmed. If you put on makeup, use the right shades that complement your skin tone. You can also cover up blemishes using the right concealer and acne prescription.
5. Keep your ego in check
Many people often confuse being confident with being aggressive. When you have this notion that you deserve more than others at the workplace, you create a domineering personality that shuts people out. If you think you are cut out for a leadership position in your company, think again. Believing that you’re better than everyone else will cause people to think that you are compensating for a certain weakness.
All of us have weaknesses and it won’t hurt to admit that. Never let your ego keep you from recognizing your own limitations. Being confident is not about taking control. It’s more about learning how to become better. If you want a place at the executive table, learn the ropes. Start out small and follow the advice of mentors. Also, you need to admit that you don’t know everything, but you are eager to make the effort of learning as much as you can.
6. Be proactive
With these tips, you can now do what confident people do: take action. You can use the experience you gain to solve problems and make decisions that will benefit the entire organization.
Being proactive is not about gaining favors from the higher-ups, but rather, it’s more about applying what you have learned in a way that adds value to what you do.
If there’s an opportunity where you can prove yourself, take it. Be bold enough to let others know that you are committed to growing as a professional. Don’t shy away from a challenge. Embrace it with intense curiosity and a passion to learn something from the experience itself.
Confidence in the workplace occurs in steps. If you want to make the most of your professional journey, start with the tips above.