Confidence 101

When you choose something you are excited about confidence blooms

Remember the times when you were confident, when you marched ahead because it meant so much to you, when you stepped out because you knew there was  no other way for you, when you stood your ground because you believed.  Enjoy the emotion, ah confidence I knew you were there, I just needed a reminder. I did it then, I can do it now.

Confidence blooming requires action, and when you are excited about what will happen, you see that confidence comes along for the ride.

Confidence building starts with looking at your strong points.  No limitations or reasons, just your strong points. If you are struggling with this, then ask your dearest friend. Your strong list will remind you that confidence has played a part in that.

The best confidence boost is being kind to yourself, no need to push or struggle or hold on to something that is not adding to your life. 

Choose something you are excited about and confidence blooms.

I have often seen and experienced that when you really want to do something, when you are excited about it, then confidence is expected.  One of my confidence blooming stories was when I was doing work that made me miserable, in fact it only made the lack of confidence stronger and then I made the BIG decision to take the big step and change my path. At the time it couldn't get any bigger for me.

When I considered that to get into my chosen profession, I would need to go to University and at the time a little absurd as I hadn't studied or been in a schooling environment for a very long time, no money to spare, and the challenges "seemed" too much to even start . 

I stepped back from my limitations and looked at my strong points, I asked for support and I knew I could do this, so I studied and sat for the Year 12 entrance exam. I chose the toughest way, but I was extremely excited to get the opportunity of gaining my qualification and confidence came along for the ride. It's all history now and along with the qualification, I learnt the life lesson that when you want to live a life that has passion and excitement for what you do, then confidence comes along too.

7 Important conditions for learning

Look for these conditions in your life to improve your chances when you are seeking to change it up or learn something new.    

1. Awareness and pay close attention

How:  When it is important, you will be present in the situation. Multi-tasking detracts from learning. 

2. A degree of challenge and difference

How: What you are discovering is moving you to a degree of discomfort and it fuels your curiosity and you want to know more. 

3. Engage with the experience

How: Participation is the key here, no last minute rushes, excuses or forgotten tasks. These new experiences require your attention and action.

4. Reflect, rehearse, meditate

How: Ask why, ask how, analyse what it means for you and rehearse in your mind, see yourself doing it. Critical and creative thinking is as important as doing.

5. Emotionally aroused

How: Your positive or negative emotions you have attached to the learning experience trigger memory and retention.

6. Active and passionate

How: To do something once is not learning, it requires focus, effort, commitment and persistence. Passion is the driving force for your learning.

7. Positive attitude for the experience and for the outcome

How: This condition is the catalyst for learning. You want it and you are enthusiastic about the process and are committed to the outcome. 

"Experience coupled with attention leads to physical changes in the structure and future functioning of the nervous system.  This leads us with a clear physiological fact...moment by moment we choose and sculpt how our ever changing minds will work, we choose who we will be in the next moment in a very real sense, and these choices are left embossed in physical form on our material selves." Schwartz and Begley, 2002. The mind and brain; neuroplasticity and the power of mental force, Regan Books, NY.

Promoting staff engagement with the WHY question

Alongside industrialisation growth, company growth and competition came the research and theories on motivation and job satisfaction; Herzberg (motivation and hygiene) in the 1960s and Maslow's theory of motivation in the 1950s are two that stand out to me and in the 1990's the term

"Staff Engagement" came about in HR circles and it is still a relatively new concept and a topic that is explored in many "how to " articles on organisational leadership and management.

Ok, This the How & When.. 

It was William Kahn, Boston University professor of organisational behaviour who introduced the term "staff engagement" based on his observation that people have a choice as to how much of themselves they are willing to invest in their jobs.  Kahn discovered that engagement was evident when there is meaning and worth in what they do, their contribution is valued and there is a constant environment where they feel secure and self-confident.

The assumption is employee engagement can never be bought; it must be earned.  Compensation will always be a key component of job satisfaction, it's just not a factor as an every day motivator of engagement.  Companies now include staff engagement as a measurement for improvement, it is analysed to measure the level of trust, identity and commitment that is shown by employees. When staff are engaged in the workplace it is accepted as a good indicator to progress company growth.

We know that improving the staff engagement results in improved business outcomes and profit. 
So, where does staff engagement fit as a priority in a business? 

 It could be said that staff engagement practices are incorporated....but where and when?  Put simply, if I used 3 factors in a business, Purpose, People, Profit and gave each one its due priority, what impact would staff engagement have on business outcomes? 

For example, if the business put Profit first:

• Profit, Purpose, People

Set the targets, work out the purpose and engage the people. A hurried strategy built more on a focus on the competition rather than confidence in the product or service. The leadership is an afterthought and because it is hurried the leadership style sends mixed messages and the workplace is unstable. Staff engagement requires more effort and more possibility of setbacks.


• Purpose, People, Profit

Set up the purpose and convince the people of the purpose and lead to make the profit. A common management strategy that does have elements of success and the leadership spends a lot of time focused more on winning the staff over. Staff engagement is achievable, though staff investment depends heavily on the leadership focus to purpose and stable environmental factors.

• People, Purpose, Profit

Engage the people for the purpose and see the profit. The focus is on growing your people, their personal and professional development has the makings of setting purpose with passion and business will grow, along with profit. Staff Engagement has a strong self motivating factor and leadership is dynamic and engaging.

Here is the - WHY question

What if PASSION was added to the staff engagement  and motivation contributing factors as per the research by Kahn, Herzberg, Maslow et al?

The term "passion" in the workplace is gaining momentum.  Passion, a strong emotion that causes you to have a belief and intention and are drawn to the work you want to do.  You do the work because of the passion you have for that job, career or vocation.  

Passion has sustainability and individual ownership. Passion does not require external factors to motivate and passion comes from a clear focus on who you are and what you want to do.   Passion is evident when you ask the WHY question.   

When I finished school ready for my next step into independence and choosing what field to study and what area to work in, WHY? was very important, way more important than, "how" or "how much".  "Why have I chosen to work with this employer?, "Why do I want to work in this field?". 
For some, it stops somewhere in our work life, it gets lost in the things we need to do and have to do and can be forgotten.  For others, it gains maturity and moves on to higher causes. 

Ask yourself WHY. "Why am I in this job?", "Why do I enjoy what I do?", "Why is it important for me to be doing this job?" Passion grows when you know the answers to your Why questions.  Passion is an under-utilised resource for staff engagement.

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When it comes to success

When it comes to success, mindset and attitude rather than any external factors are the tipping point.  

Many hugely successful people are able to overcome incredible odds to become successful — and that is almost always due to their attitudes.

So what attitudes make a successful person?  Here are a few for you.

Passion. People who are successful in their field tend to have an insatiable passion for it, because it’s nearly impossible to be truly successful when you don’t have a passion for the process. They are intrinsically motivated to do their best.

 "When you have a passion for something then you tend not only to be better at it, but you work harder at it too." -Vera Wang

"Great minds have purposes; others have wishes." - Washington Irving

"To love what you do and feel that it matters - how could anything be more fun? " - Katherine Graham

 Self confidence Successful people often believe in themselves even when no one else does. It isn’t about self-delusion, it’s about a deep, unshakable belief that they will succeed.

"To be more successful don't change who you are. Become more of who you are"

Positive. Interestingly, successful people also tend to be positive people. They believe in their ability to succeed and see the positive even in challenging situations.

 "The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate." —Oprah Winfrey

"No-one is ready for a thing until he believes he can acquire it". -Napoleon Hill

Seek learning and improvement. Successful people never rest on the belief that they know everything possible. They put a premium on investing in themselves through education and training.

"Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever." —Mahatma Gandhi

Perservere. Successful people tend to have a stubborn streak — in the best way possible. When they believe in a thing and have a passion for it, they will pursue it to the end. They don't give up.

       "The difference between winning and losing is most often not quitting." —Walt Disney

Tolerance for change and risk. Every successful person , especially in business, must cultivate a high tolerance for risk and embrace change. Today’s world is in continuous change, but the people who will succeed and profit from that change will take the risk to engage it.

"The biggest risk is not taking any risk... In a world that's changing really quickly, the only strategy that is guaranteed to fail is not taking risks." —Mark Zuckerberg

"You will look back in life and say, I wish I had or, I'm glad I did" -  Zig Ziglar

Vision.  Successful people aren’t easily satisfied. They’re always striving for the next milestone, the next big thing. Even when they reach what might be someone else’s definition of success, they choose to keep going, to reach beyond that finish line to create an entirely new one.

"Don't be afraid to give up the good to go for the great." —John D. Rockefeller

"You cannot take charge of the present if you are busy reliving the setbacks of the past." - Newman & Berkowitz

Awareness. Successful people are very much aware of their thoughts and their actions.  They have made the unconscious conscious and their decisions are based from a place of respect and consideration.  They see the genius in everyone they encounter.

"Trust each other again and again. When the trust level gets high enough, people transcend apparent limits, discovering new and awesome abilities for which they were previously unaware." - David Armistead

"To make a living is no longer enough. Work also has to make a life." - Peter Drucker

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