Confidence doesn’t come naturally to everyone, but it can make a big difference to your career. Here’s how to fake it ‘til you make it at work.
The quickest way to build confidence at work is to fill any knowledge or skill gaps.
That could mean further education or getting career mentoring or focusing on presentation skills or administration or finance.
Whatever you feel you are lacking, be constantly filling in those gaps and you will build your confidence automatically.
When you feel you have a more well-rounded portfolio, you can speak up in meetings.
In meetings, people confuse a loud person with a confident person but that’s not the case.
It’s about understanding your value and how you fit and how you can add value to a meeting or situation.
Know your role in that meeting before you walk in.
Have the information, do your research, have your data, have a plan. What are your views? What are the pros and cons? What is your argument? What is your backing?
If you don’t know your role in a meeting beforehand, contact the meeting organiser and ask them.
When you are in the meeting, don’t speak unless you are confident and can add value. If the opportunity doesn’t arrive, staying silent can give more confidence than speaking up when you should not. Don’t assume speaking equates to confidence in a meeting.
Often people keep talking for validation but they should just say what they need to say and that’s it.
If you are trying to build confidence in speaking up in a meeting, the best way to practise is to ask someone else what their opinion is so you
are participating but being collaborative and engaging others.
To appear more confident, don’t sit crouched over, take up space in the desk in front of you, and don’t take notes. In a meeting, the person taking notes is the lowest on the food chain. If your job is to take notes, of course take notes, but if you are ready with a pen and paper people will expect you to take notes and you won’t be seen as the leader in the room.
You can also show confidence in the workplace by not worrying about frivolous things like gossip and rumours.
Amanda Rose is a business consultant, workplace trainer, LinkedIn influencer and founder of six organisations – and now she is tackling your career questions for SMART Daily every Monday.
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