How to Create Confidence in the Faint-of-Heart
In today’s guest post coach former basketball coach James White shares a little of his approach to working with teams:
How to Create Confidence in the Faint-of-Heart
By James White
“Treat others how you want to be treated.” This age-old adage applies just about everywhere—including the workplace. And, it turns out, is also a great way to build confidence in your employees and players. Read on to find out to install confidence in the faint-of-heart.
Acknowledge Them and Listen to Them
Everyone wants to feel valued. Many people who lack confidence became that way because their ideas were rejected and went unnoticed to the point where they have given up.
When you see your team members, how do you greet them? A smile, a nod, or a wave may suffice when you’re running on an extremely tight schedule, but, otherwise, you should say hello to everyone you pass; you should also be sure to address each person by his or her name to make them feel known and appreciated.
Beyond that, though, it’s extremely important to always listen to—and remember—what your team members say to you. This is because listening intently shows that you care and value the person who is talking. Encourage discussion and for people to share their ideas in a “safe place” where they won’t be judged. Feeling valued will, in turn, make those around you feel more confident in their position, so be sure to listen up next time a player has a suggestion for a play tactic in your next huddle.
Show Appreciation
It’s not just acknowledgment that makes your employees or players feel confident. Regular expressions of your appreciation will only build your team’s sense of self-esteem. For example, if you’re trying to build your own level of self-esteem, some studies suggest looking at yourself in the mirror and smiling each day. This is because the facial expressions that you see can encourage your brain to register and emit specific emotions. The same goes for your team members. When you tell them that their work has been really good and you appreciate them going above and beyond, they see the smile on your face and automatically feel a boost. So create a habit to always smile at your team members. Of course, by telling someone that they did a great job you are also telling them that they’re a valued part of your team. And, as previously stated, feeling valued equates to feeling self-assured.
The best part is that if you kick-start a “thank you” culture in your office or on your team, it will eventually trickle down. Once everyone starts thanking each other for jobs well done, everyone’s self-confidence level will increase, thanks to you! (Do you feel more confident after being thanked?)
Give the Thumbs Up
Human beings inherently seek the acceptance of others. Whether you realize it or not, you’ve gone out of your way to make others like you since a very, very young age. Now that you’re aware of approval’s importance, you can use it as a tool to make your team members feel great about themselves.
One effective way of building self-confidence in others is to show them your approval each time they complete a project or task in just the right way. In fact, using approval to boost self-confidence can be an effective tool for tweaking your employees’ or players’ behaviors to match your ultimate goals for the team. More importantly, though, they’ll so benefit from your approval that they’ll start to do what it takes in order to receive it. To that end, another powerful time to show your support of someone is in front of the entire team. Like the first application, this one typically inspires employees to try and replicate their behavior in order to maintain their social position. It might also enable them to pursue goals with self-assurance, and what’s more important than that?
About James White
James White coached basketball for 3 years and is currently working on his business degree. Connect with James on Twitter at @JGtheSavage or read more articles from him on his personal blog Info Bros.
