Starting a new job, taking on additional responsibility or trying to progress in your career can bring an unexpected challenge: confidence.
You may know that you are capable, yet still question yourself when speaking in meetings, working with senior colleagues or taking on something unfamiliar.
The good news is that confidence is not something you either have or do not have.
It is something you can develop.
Stop waiting to feel ready
One of the biggest barriers to confidence is believing you need to feel confident before taking action.
In reality, confidence often comes afterwards.
You become more confident at presenting by presenting. You become better at networking by having conversations. You become more comfortable making decisions by making them and learning from the outcome.
You do not need to feel completely ready to take the first step.
Recognise your strengths
Take some time to think about what you are good at.
What do colleagues come to you for? What tasks do you perform well? What have you achieved that you once found difficult?
It is easy to concentrate on what you still need to learn and forget how much you have already accomplished.
Keeping a record of positive feedback, successful projects and new skills can help you recognise your progress.
Ask questions
Being confident does not mean pretending to know everything.
Asking questions can show that you are curious and willing to learn. There is no shame in saying, ‘I am not sure, but I will find out.’
Everyone has been new at something.
Challenge yourself gradually
You do not need to completely change who you are.
Start with small challenges.
Speak up once in your next meeting. Volunteer for a task. Ask for feedback. Introduce yourself to someone new. Offer an idea.
Each action gives you evidence that you are capable of more than you may have initially believed.
Allow yourself to make mistakes
Self-improvement is impossible without mistakes.
You will sometimes say the wrong thing, make a poor decision or struggle with something that others seem to find easy.
Instead of seeing this as failure, ask what you can learn from it.
Confidence is not believing everything will go perfectly.
It is trusting yourself to handle things when they do not.
The more you practise, learn and challenge yourself, the stronger that trust becomes.