A Spotlight On... Confidence Building

Article | Keely Jennings, Content Developer at Blue Stream Academy

“You need to be more confident”. For many of us, the need to build confidence may be a subject that is discussed frequently in the workplace.

You might feel that you are constantly being told to ‘be more confident’ at each supervision session or appraisal that you attend with your manager, team leader or supervisor.

As a result, some of us can be left feeling helpless or despondent as we assume that we are simply not confident people and we can’t do anything to change the situation. But what exactly is self-confidence? What are the signs that self-confidence is low? And is it possible to increase, improve and, importantly, maintain this much sought-after quality?

To help answer these important questions and explore the benefits of confidence building at work, Blue Stream Academy has recently released two new eLearning modules: Confidence Building Awareness and Supporting Confidence Building in a Team.

Confidence Building Awareness

Our Confidence Building Awareness module has been created for all trainees. As you will learn, confidence is a flexible trait and even the most self-confident person can experience periods when their confidence levels decrease or they are faced with a task or situation that affects or knocks their confidence.

Issues with confidence can impact the individual, their work performance, and the organisation itself, so an awareness of confidence building is vital for all members of an organisation. As a good starting point if you are developing an understanding of confidence building, this module helps the user to think about what self-confidence actually is before looking at possible signs or characteristics that someone might benefit from building their confidence.

Other key considerations that are covered in this module include looking at the various factors which might be causing – or maintaining – low confidence levels. This is another essential element which can help you to establish a better understanding of how issues with confidence can affect someone’s work performance and personal wellbeing.

The next stage of the journey is to look at the skills and techniques which can help with confidence building. Developing a more positive sense of self is the focus of confidence building. This module discusses practical ways in which you can help to build your confidence, which can, in turn, improve personal wellbeing, work performance and team building.

So, to answer one of our original questions, by learning and practising these skills and techniques, you can help to boost your confidence and, in doing so, challenge the perception that some people are just born confident and others are not.

Supporting Confidence Building in a Team

Our Confidence Building Awareness module provides the detailed and informative foundation for our complementary module – Supporting Confidence Building in a Team – which has been developed for those members of an organisation who have responsibility for supporting their colleagues with confidence building.

If you are a manager, team leader or supervisor, and you have completed our Confidence Building Awareness module, we recommend that you now complete this corresponding module.

Utilising the knowledge you have gained from the Confidence Building Awareness module, Supporting Confidence Building in a Team focuses on useful ways in which you can help to build confidence in your team.

There are several clear benefits for an organisation which recognises the importance of confidence building as part of maintaining an interest in, and concern for, their employees’ physical and mental health and wellbeing. These can include improvements in key areas such as work performance, employee engagement, job satisfaction and staff retention.

Keely’s Personal Perspective of Confidence Building

When I was at university, I remember reading the following quotation in Virginia Woolf’s A Room of One’s Own: “Without selfconfidence we are as babes in the cradle. And how can we generate this imponderable quality, which is yet so invaluable, most quickly?” At the age of 19, these words struck such a cord with me that I copied them into my diary and I can still recall that moment very clearly to this day.

While Virginia Woolf’s essay was published in 1929 and the extended section of the text reflects the era in which it was written, it was the description of self-confidence being an ‘imponderable’ or ‘mysterious’ quality – but also ‘invaluable’ – that I could really relate to at the time. And, feeling that I lacked selfconfidence, I was also keen to know how I too could generate this vital quality as quickly as possible!

In the years following university, I have continued to think about what self-confidence is and how it can be improved and maintained. Being involved in the development of our confidence building modules, and working alongside an experienced, knowledgeable and insightful subject matter expert, has given me a great opportunity to focus on what self-confidence is, what the signs of low confidence might be, and what might cause issues with confidence levels.

This has really enhanced my understanding of confidence issues and how they can affect individuals, teams and organisations.

Importantly, I have also been able to learn about – and subsequently put into practice – several practical, everyday skills and techniques that can help build confidence in the workplace.

Instead of assuming that I am just someone who can lack confidence when faced with certain situations or tasks, I now feel much better informed about the reasons behind these thoughts. I also feel better prepared and more equipped to deal with such situations and feelings as they occur.

Want to Find out More?

If you would like to enhance your awareness of confidence building and learn about the skills and techniques that can help to boost confidence – either for yourself or members of your team – please get in touch with our team via phone on 01773 822549 or email info@bluestreamacademy.com to find out more about our new confidence building modules.

Keely Jennings

Content Developer at Blue Stream Academy

As a member of our Content Development team, Keely researches and writes content for our eLearning modules. Working alongside external subject matter experts and our in-house programming and Creative Services teams, Keely is involved with each stage of module development, from initial brief to launch.