You might not even think that you’re not a confident person when it comes to your job. However, it’s important to have a little assertiveness where you work.

For instance, some of us have been in awkward situations with our bosses and/or co-workers. Someone might’ve taken full credit for your work, a co-worker has not been using appropriate language in the workplace, or your boss ignores all of your efforts to make the company more successful.

Whatever the case may be, situations like these could use some good old fashioned assertiveness. An article by the Houston Chronicle states, that “assertiveness is [a] behavior that communicates leadership,” and leadership is a great quality that can get any professional the level of recognition and professional success they’ve always wanted. But how does one become more confident in the workplace?

How To Be More Confident At Work

Here are some tips:

Stop Doubting Yourself

In order to express the right level of assertiveness where you work, you won’t gain confidence if you continuously doubt yourself.

In an article written for Forbes, Steven Berglas – former psychiatrist and executive coach and management consultant – describes building self-confidence as a two phase process. “The first phase involves purging yourself of self-doubt; in the second, you build up your confidence,” wrote Berglas.

He goes on to describe a ten-step process that can help boost the confidence levels of an unsure employee, among them are: understanding where your self-doubt comes from, admitting that you have a problem, and conducting confidence trial runs with friends or family for feedback. All of these steps as well as the others Berglas discusses are great starters for becoming more confident.

Be Confident Outside Of Work

If you’re employed full-time, like several of us, you spend either half or more than half of your day in the workplace. If you lack a confidence boost, practicing how to be more confident outside of work could be great practice for you.

In an article by Jobacle.com, the article states that “Finding joy and confidence in other areas, such as hobbies or passions, can take some of the pressure off of you… Although it is difficult to separate your professional self-image from your personal self-image, doing so can help you feel more comfortable at work.” This will make you less anxious when it comes to expressing some of your dislikes or even challenging ideas in the workplace.

Get In The Right Mindset, Have A Plan

Just as it is important to have the right mindset when looking for a job, having the right mindset to gain confidence is also important if you want to accomplish any of your professional goals.

According to Ute Wieczorek-King and Gerry Hyde, working on to-do lists on a regular basis keeps people on track, but also, “feeling in control,” which is exactly how you want to feel when you’re trying to build confidence. If you don’t feel like you’re in control of a situation, you’ll be less apt to make any changes, and that only leads to a road of unhappiness.

If confidence is something you lack in the workplace, remember that for some it just takes some practice. Try to recognize you need to build more of it and work towards getting rid of your self doubt. If you can’t start building confidence where you work, try doing it outside of work to get you started, and have a plan to keep you on track and in control.

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