How to gain confidence at work: 18 habits to try this week

How to gain confidence at work, one habit at a time

Pick one habit a week, not all of them at once. Each has a step small enough to do before Friday.

In the room: speak up

Confidence in meetings is a habit of small, early contributions.

5. Speak in the first ten minutes. The longer you wait, the bigger the first comment feels.Try this week: In every meeting this week, say one thing before the ten-minute mark, even a question.
6. Ask the question everyone is holding. A plain clarifying question is often what the room needed.Try this week: Once this week, ask the basic question you would normally keep to yourself.
7. Drop the softeners. "I just think maybe" hides a good idea. "I think" is enough.Try this week: Before sending five emails, cut every "just", "sorry" and "I might be wrong, but".
8. Admit a gap, then close it. Owning what you don't know sounds steadier than guessing, as long as you follow up.Try this week: The next time you're unsure in a meeting, say you'll check, then send the answer within a day.
9. Hold your point when you're talked over. A calm sentence keeps the floor without starting a fight.Try this week: Practice one line until it feels natural: "Let me finish this thought, then I want your view."

To practice presenting with your team, try our presentation games. For the words you say to yourself before a big day, see positive affirmations for work.

How to deal with imposter syndrome at work

Imposter syndrome is the feeling that you’re less capable than people think and will be found out. Psychologists Pauline Clance and Suzanne Imes described it as the “impostor phenomenon” in a 1978 paper. It is not a psychiatric diagnosis, and it shows up in many professions, including among people who do their jobs well.

1. Name it. Tell yourself, "This is the imposter feeling, not a fact about my work."
2. Check the evidence. Open your wins log and read what you actually did this month.
3. Remember you were chosen. Someone weighed your skills against other people's and picked you.
4. Say it to one person you trust. Saying it out loud often makes it smaller, and many colleagues have felt the same.
5. Act before you feel ready. Do the next small task now and let the feeling catch up later.

If self-doubt starts to affect your sleep, health or daily life, talk to a doctor or a licensed mental health professional.

A weekly wins log to copy

Five minutes every Friday. Paste it into a note, a doc or a message to yourself, and reread it before reviews and hard meetings.

Wins log, week of [date]

1. What I finished:
2. A problem I solved, and how:
3. Feedback or thanks I received:
4. Something I did for the first time:
5. What I'd do differently:
6. Next week's small stretch:

How to build confidence in your team

Managers shape confidence more than any pep talk. Seven moves that work in any team.

• Give work one step above their level. Pair it with a check-in, so the stretch feels supported, not sink-or-swim.
• Name the exact behavior you liked. "Your second slide made the decision easy" builds more than "great job".
• Warn quiet people before you call on them. Tell them the day before that you'll ask their view on one topic.
• Step aside when it's their work. They present it to senior leaders; you stop summarizing it on their behalf.
• Ask before you correct. After a mistake, start with "What would you do differently?" and listen first.
• Tell your own early stories. Your first bad presentation makes theirs feel survivable.
• Make the next step concrete. One skill to build and a date to check in, written down.

For the wording of hard conversations, see how to give constructive feedback, and for the wider skill set, our guide to leadership skills. New interns? Thank them properly on National Intern Day.

Team workshops that build confidence

Want your team to practice these skills together? Book an hour someone else runs.

• Speak Up! Public Speaking Workshop. How to structure a message, deliver it with confidence and reduce nerves, whether you present in person or virtually.
• Get Comfy Outside Your Comfort Zone. Explores the Growth Zone Circle and shifting your inner voice from “I can’t” to “I can”, plus when to say a strategic no.
• The Power Of Vulnerability. Guided reflection and group discussion on how being real builds trust and connection at work.
• Improv. Exercises in “Yes, And”, storytelling, presenting work and responding to the unexpected.

Each runs live for 60 minutes on Zoom by default, or Teams, Google Meet or Webex on request. Book about 2 weeks ahead.

See more on our virtual improv and lunch and learn pages, or get a free quote with your date and headcount. We reply within 24 hours.