How to build confidence in your team

We all experience a lack of self-confidence at some stage in our lifetime but what might surprise you is how much influence your self-confidence has on how you perform at work. Just think of your favourite sports team and their success story. Did they believe in themselves when no one else did? Does the reason for their achievements lie in their confidence? Would they be where they are today if they lacked self-belief?

If your team members lack confidence, you could potentially be at risk of missing valuable opportunities, and even worse, you may be creating a workplace where below-par work is overlooked and becomes the norm.

Confidence brings with it qualities of mental toughness, poise, grit, belief and courage, which are all associated with highly successful people. These are extremely valuable personality traits to have in a competitive workplace and ones you need to nurture within your business.

Confidence is often seen as something that an employee either has or doesn't have, but there's good news. Although situations will always arise where staff stumble in their confidence, there are ways that you can boost confidence amongst your team members, eliminate doubt and build unshakable self-belief and resilience.

Building confidence within a team takes time and energy, but it's well worth it. A self-confident team will be more productive, motivated and efficient, giving you the edge over your competitors.

Here are some simple ways to give your team a confidence boost

Build and learn from failures

What's the old phrase? "Done is better than perfect". It's easy to forget that certain pieces of work involve a process and benefit from them. We can often get bogged down with producing the perfect product on our first attempt and risk missing a better solution that further iterations would help us discover. Let your team try new approaches and tools and see if they work. If they don't, adapt your approach and keep improving. But if they do work, who knows what dizzy heights they could elevate your business to.

Supporting your team with trial and error can help to build confidence because it shows you have their backs, even if they fail. Failure is an integral part of life. We need to fail to learn. It's OK to make mistakes - you can learn and grow from them.

Make yourself available

Being approachable and listening to your employees needs is great for boosting self confidence. Taking the time to be there for your team shows them that their actions make a real impact day to day. It’s also valuable because you’re creating real opportunities to coach them through challenges they have that might be impacting their self-esteem.

Book in time each week to catch up with each team member and stick to it. Continuously cancelling or delaying these meetings will erode confidence and sends out the message that their time isn't important to you.

Create opportunities for employees to share their experiences

As individuals, we don't usually perform beyond the limits of the way we see ourselves, whatever those limits may be. When we talk to other people, we’re often surprised at how many of us have self-limiting thoughts; it can be reassuring to hear that everyone experiences similar doubts and this shared experience in itself can boost confidence.

Connecting with each other will also provide opportunities to reinforce the idea that confidence might need to in fact fluctuate for employees to have consistent success and it's normal to have feelings of self-doubt.

Make sure your workplace supports everyone's needs

Everyone should feel safe and supported in their workplace, from resourcing and facilities through to the furniture and decor. If people don't feel they have the right tools for the job it can limit their ability to reach their full potential and in turn negatively impact their confidence.

Provide personalised training

Learning a new skill is great for boosting confidence while also propelling you towards future successes. It also gives your staff purpose and improves their personal and professional abilities. By investing time in helping them improve their skills, it shows you value them within the business. These new found skills then help the company grow as your employees will be able to take on new tasks and challenges.

Create a positive environment

Creating a positive atmosphere doesn't cost anything, but has a huge payback. Lead by example - a visible wobble in confidence can be contagious. If you're always stressing out about projects, you will pass this on to the rest of your team.

Of course, you need to highlight things that aren't working, but if you approach projects with a calm and positive mindset you and your team will have the confidence to take on any challenge.

Say thank you

Everyone likes to feel appreciated and feels good when their boss or a colleague lets them know they're doing a good job. Good employees thrive at work when they know their contributions have meaning.

HEATs top tips for building confidence in the workplace

●      Look for traits that point to independence during interview selection

An applicant should know that confidence is an essential life-affirming character trait. Ask questions like, 'how confident are you'? Or 'tell me about a situation or situations that might demonstrate your confidence to do this job'?

Does the job seeker appear to be able to deal with all the diverse situations he/she will meet in your organisation? Do they seem to be able to handle issues calmly and confidently?

If you’re not sure what questions you should be asking during the interview process take a look at our article - Interview questions to ask candidates.

●      Give ownership to your team

Empowering others to do the work they're entrusted to do, and owning the outcome regardless of whether it's good or bad will lead to employees taking the initiative and feeling like they have greater control over the outcome.

●      Encourage your team to ask 'why?'

Asking questions is an essential part of a career journey, as it helps employees to understand themselves, those around them, and expectations.

●      Encourage openness

Creating opportunities for employees to express themselves without reparations will make communicating any issues that arise, positive or negative, easier.

●      Create opportunities for employees to teach each other

When employees have high self-esteem and are confident in their work, they are the best teachers. Letting them teach other employees about a company process that they have mastered will further boost their self-esteem and confidence.