Confidence Building

Lizzy is 37years old and a Service Manager in a residential care home for adults with disability. She has been married for 15 years with three children aged 11, 9 and 7. Lizzy has always enjoyed working with disabled people and has always wanted to move up the career ladder within the social care profession. She is currently going through a self confident crisis at work and has this to say:

“Since I took up the role of Service Manager seven months ago, my confidence level just went down. I was on my previous job as Team Leader for six years reporting to the Service Manager. In that capacity, I knew everyone really well and there was always a colleague to chat to. So, I was really enthusiastic when I got the senior position, but now my low confidence is holding me back, and I know I need to get over it. My new job involves direct management responsibility for 25 support workers with a requirement to deliver high quality personalised care support services to 12 disabled adults living independently in their individual flats.

On my first day in a service manager meeting, I felt really inadequate and was finding it hard to even express myself. I know there's a lot to learn about the job but my mind keeps thinking about things I might have said or done wrong. A few days ago, the area manager called me over the phone and requested an update about an on-going issue with a customer but I got the issue mixed up with another customer. I also worry about what people might be saying or thinking about me even though I know everyone is too busy and that I'm probably the last person on their mind. I also worry that people are thinking that I am not up to the job. It's strange the way I am feeling at work as I'm confident in many other aspects of my life especially at home and in social environment.”

First of all, I say well done to you Lizzy for mustering the caurage to step out of your comfort zone.

Action steps for Lizzy each time fear sets in thinking about the things she might have done wrong:

1. Stop whatever you are doing and take three deep breathes in and out.
2. Take notice of the fear building up within you and accept it.
3. Make a conscious decision not to let it determine your response
4. Take note of the fear, then say to it, 'Thanks for the input'
5. Then deliberately choose how you want to respond to it.
6. Affirm to yourself, “No one can put me down without my permision”
7. Keep repeating this mantra to yourself until you begin to notice a positive change in your confidence level
8. Cultivate the habit of asking for feedback from your line manager or colleagues so you can hear how you are really coming across.
9. Find a mentor at work that you can confide in and lean on for support, and who'll be honest with you.
10. Keep a daily log of things you are doing well and things that you need to be improving upon.
11. Become more aware that everything you do at work, right or wrong, is your teacher.