"Grasping the Art of Standing Alone in Professional Pursuits"
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In today's fast-paced work environment, making decisions confidently and effectively is crucial for success. However, a dependence on external validation can hinder decision-making and reduce leadership effectiveness. To overcome this, here are some key strategies for fostering self-trust in the workplace.
Recalibrate with Clarity
Consulting with a trusted peer, not for affirmation, but for clarity, can aid in recalibration during the 24-hour pause. This pause, when implemented before responding to controversial issues or seeking reassurance, provides ample time for reflection.
Break the Cycle of Validation Dependence
Breaking the cycle of validation dependence involves conscious, structured actions. Try doing a gut check, forming one's own opinions first, trying the "so what?" test, giving it 24 hours, and keeping promises to oneself.
Ask the Right Questions
Regularly pausing to ask, "Am I doing this because it's right or to be liked?" fosters self-awareness. This question encourages leaders to prioritise what is right over seeking approval, which is essential for making timely, confident decisions that align with shared goals.
Document Your Achievements
To reduce reliance on external approval and foster self-trust, document your achievements systematically. This evidence of your impact helps reinforce self-worth and reduces dependence on external validation.
Separate Your Identity from Your Job Title
Maintaining interests and relationships outside work provides perspective and emotional resilience. Separating your self-worth from your job title helps ensure that your value is not solely defined by your professional achievements.
Focus on Outcomes and Quality of Work
Instead of focusing on hours or external praise, focus on outcomes and the quality of your work. This allows you to measure success based on your standards and results, reinforcing your self-trust.
Build Psychological Safety
Practice open communication, honesty, and accountability both personally and within your team. This reinforces self-trust and mutual respect, creating a transparent, accountable communication culture.
Engage in Feedback Exchange
Actively and constructively engage in feedback exchange to develop emotional intelligence and confidence in your abilities to give and receive honest input.
Set and Co-create Goals
Setting and co-creating goals fosters ownership and accountability in your work, empowering you through clarity and shared purpose rather than seeking approval from others.
Communicate Your Value Confidently
Communicate your value confidently by framing your contributions in terms of team and organizational success. This helps align your self-perception with objective outcomes.
Practice Active Listening and Coaching
Practicing active listening and coaching others, rather than purely seeking approval or directing control, supports authentic leadership and reinforces your own decision-making and trustworthiness.
By implementing these strategies, you can cultivate self-trust in the workplace, relying more on your own judgment and less on external approval. This not only benefits you as a leader but also contributes to the success of your organisation.
In the pursuit of enhancing self-trust at work, documentation of achievements systematically can help reduce reliance on external validation and foster self-worth. Additionally, focusing on outcomes and the quality of work, apart from concentrating on hours or external praise, allows one to measure success based on personal standards and results, reinforcing self-trust.
