Self-doubt can be a factor that inhibits many of us at one time or another. As managers or leaders we often encounter situations where colleagues and staff maybe struggle to appreciate their true worth or ability. So, how do you help people re-evaluate their qualities and manage their self-doubt effectively?
What not to do
Although you may think that by encouraging people to believe that they can do something, when they themselves think they can’t, is the right thing it may actually only be making the problem worse.
This form of reassurance, rarely based on data or evidence, can actually be overtly unconvincing. In fact what it actually does is further enhance any feelings of isolation or inadequacy. It can make an individual feel that you’re actually not in tune with what their true abilities are, or taken the time to fully think through what you’re saying. Effectively you are imparting empty words in an attempt to short-cut a solution to a problem.
What they actually want, something entirely different, is that solution to the problem. They need to be armed with the tools to be able to navigate through their self-doubt and find a way through the maze, rather than blithely optimistic expressions of praise devoid of any real substance. If no real help is forthcoming they will simply default back to what has been in their head all along.
A constructive approach
There are a number of steps that you can take to help an employee or colleague overcome self-doubt. Your words of encouragement may well have been made in good faith and the genuine belief that the task was not beyond the person for whom they were intended. However, their interpretation would most likely be difference so a change of approach may be required.
- Develop the idea of an inner critic – Explain the concept of a voice within us all that does not reflect rational and realistic thinking, a voice that if you let it get hold of you will irrationally underestimate your capabilities. You may also refer to this as imposter syndrome or simply the voice of self-doubt.
- Introduce ways of managing your inner critic – Whilst understanding that self-doubt is natural when exposed to a new role or tasks, talk about ways to manage these fears. Be clear that you don’t expect unfailing confidence at all times but just a recognition that at any time, doubts are being fueled by this inner critic within. From here you can explore ways to ignore this errant voice, exercising the right of choice not to accept direction and analysis from it.
Dealing with self-doubt can be quite a challenge, as a leader you genuinely want people to be achieving all that they are capable of and pushing themselves to reach the next level. The important thing to establish is that self-doubt need not mean that a person no longer has any worth to you. By managing the process it may actually mean that you ultimately end up with a strong and focused individual, capable of more than you, and more importantly they, might ever have dreamed.
Where can call recording technology come in?
When you examine some of the explanations above and analyse how you might go about ways to improve the situation, you can see how the use of call recording technology might help, particularly in sales scenario. It might the slightest of interventions that could make the difference to a sales person and having the ability to let them hear instances of when they did a particularly good job could be a perfect confidence booster. Where encouragement might not provide the key to the door, proof could.
This blog was brought to you by your friendly team at Lanonyx. For all things Call Recording or Call Logging related, please feel free to contact us, or give us a call on 0333 0022 440 and we’ll be ready and willing to help.