‘Drop the Mic’ Confidence – Winning at Work
Have you noticed that confidence isn’t concrete? It’s fluid – it ebbs and flows. We all have our ups and downs. Some days you’ve got it, other days – not so much.
When it comes to our careers, we want to have more good than bad days. To do that, we need to create confidence – not wait for it. Confidence is a state of mind.
Do you project confidence or radiate signs of low self-assurance? Whether you struggle with asserting professional confidence daily or sporadically, try these strategies to polish your poise.
Easy Confidence Enhancers
See it. Believe it. I had a mentor who always advised me to “paint myself into the picture.” Visualize yourself achieving your goal. Not just the large goals, but the smaller ones too. Have a presentation to make? Picture yourself wowing your audience. Prepare your brain for success. Envision what you’ll wear, your tone of voice, your body language, your presentation tools. If you see it and believe it, you can achieve it.
Look (and smell) good. “Suit-Up” if you must. However, the important thing here is to feel good about how you look. Whatever type of clothes you wear – make sure they fit well and are clean and pressed. And don’t overlook smelling good – spritzing on your favorite scent can really enhance how you feel. Just don’t overdo the amount of cologne or perfume.
Show your agreement. Did you know that nodding your head has been linked to raising confidence? The up and down movement has been shown to send a positive “can-do” message to the brain.
Adjust your inner voice. As I mentioned previously, confidence is a state of mind. If you continually undermine yourself – stop. Re-write the narrative of your inner voice. Change can’t to can and won’t to will. Developing inward confidence will create outward confidence.
Find your conversational voice. Don’t speak like a walking text book. People will tune you out. That’s a blow to self-esteem and a confidence killer. Furthermore, text book talk is seen as reciting knowledge rather than being knowledgeable. When you speak naturally, you become relatable and are better able to express your ideas and be seen as a valuable team member.
Pump it up. Get your blood pumping and your heartbeat up. A quick 20 minute exercise break is shown to sharpen the mind. Take a brisk walk, or if your office building has stairs – use them. A quick staircase workout can create a take-on-the-world feeling just like in the movie “Rocky.”
Observe. When you see someone exude confidence – observe them. What are they doing that you aren’t? Equally important – what are they doing that you could? Simply paying attention to those around us can be a terrific tool to boost self-esteem.
Your Turn…
What quick confidence boosters work for you? Feel free to add to the list.
As a career coach and recruiter, working exclusively with Public Accountants, I help professionals with issues like this daily. Connect with me on LinkedIn.
Interested in more career nutrition? Check out the Career Wellness section of the SterlingFreeman website.