Main Idea
When a customer calls with an unexpected problem, do you shrink from it or lean into the problem? When you have an important sales call, is your stomach in knots before the call? When your boss wants to discuss your performance, are you eager to hear the results or are you tempted to call in sick that day?
Expansion of Idea
One of the cornerstones of success is confidence. This includes success as a leader, as a manager, as an employee, as a teammate, and as a service provider. If we do not acquire confidence it will break us. It is critical for our service delivery. If we are unsure of what we are doing, nothing will ever get done. When we are unsure of what we are doing, work tends to be delayed because we are afraid of making a mistake. We can only be confident in ourselves if we have properly prepared for the event or transaction. I am talking about real confidence as opposed to arrogance. A lack of confidence shows clearly when you go to a restaurant and have a waiter who is doing their first shift alone.
One of the areas that I have worked on over the last ten years was my overriding fear of public speaking. This was caused by an incident when I was in sixth grade. In an effort to improve my public speaking, it was suggested by a teacher that I participate in the Bellarmine Speech Club. In preparation for the speech meet, I had to memorize a famous speech. I prepared and memorized the speech but not to the point where I was confident. As I was waiting to give the speech, the kid before me started his speech and it was the exact one I had memorized. AND HE NAILED IT. My confidence went through the floor. I made it through the speech but it was awful. There was no difference in my knowledge or skills before and after I heard the kid before me speak. The only real difference was my confidence. That determined my success or, in this case, my failure. That lack of confidence held me back for 30 years because I did not have confidence that I could speak in public. I did not gain that confidence back until I was 44 years old.
While it is unlikely that I will be world renowned for my public speaking, I have improved to the point that it is no longer a liability. Most of that improvement was directly related to preparation. This applies to every one of us in our interactions with customers and coworkers. Every one of us can improve our customer service, our knowledge, our use of technology, or we can at a minimum get to know our customers better. All of these will give us confidence to do our job.
Questions to Ask Yourself
Are you confident in how you handle your job?
If not, where are you unsure of your job?
What do you need to prepare to improve your job performance?
How can I encourage a team member with their confidence?