What we think
In this section you will find helpful videos and articles: from how to ace a job interview, to how to listen to feedback.
Don’t confuse lack of confidence for competence.
When one of your top performers gets promoted into a senior role and they aren’t delivering as well as you thought they might, it's down to competence; one promotion too far isn’t it?
Or is it. Look more closely.
New Senior Manager? Remember these 3 things
When people get promoted into a senior management role for the first time, while it’s great for their career, it can be daunting.
Suddenly they are not just leading a team, they are at the top table and impressions, reputation and perceptions become more important. The higher you go up the corporate ladder, the more people you meet and the less they know of you as a person or what you have achieved.
Confident: are you sure?
You may not describe yourself as someone lacking in confidence, but would you be able to spot if you were?
In our experience as coaches, so many issues we come across are linked to a lack of confidence in one situation or another. That’s normal and natural. But often people don’t recognise it, which makes it hard to do something about it. And it can really get in the way or your career.
Getting to know your imposter monster
When we face a challenge we’re bound to feel a bit out of our depth. If we didn’t it wouldn’t be a challenge would it?
Whether it’s getting promoted into a new role, taking on more responsibility or working on something that’s high profile in the business, we’re going to feel some doubt and uncertainty. It's often referred to as imposter syndrome. Doubting yourself, questioning that you can do something, feeling out of your depth.
Have I always been confident? No, so what changed?
When I tell people that I’m a coach and that my speciality is helping people be more confident, they think I’m all firm handshakes and a big booming voice. Anyone who knows me, appreciates that I’m not.
Someone recently asked me at a seminar I was delivering if I had always been confident. Had I always been able to look comfortable when delivering a talk and able to maintain good eye contact? No. Definitely not.
What is confidence?
In our monthly Confidence Bootcamp, we start by asking attendees who they think is confident and why. The person can be anyone they choose, it's what they are seeing as confident that we’re interested in.
The answers nearly always describe people that either speak up a lot, are successful, or loud.
These people may well be confident but I’d also say that some of the loudest people I’ve met have been among the least confident I know.