How To Develop More Confident Teams

People and teams with low self-confidence rarely thrive and often see more risk than opportunity when a challenge arises. They rarely trust their judgement and usually need their hand-holding when they find it hard to navigate challenging projects,

Extensive research shows confident people and teams are more productive, effective, and highly motivated. They tend to be comfortable taking risks and are more likely to achieve their goals.

Building confidence in your team is a ‘benefit’ to them and good for you.  It is crucial to success. People cannot reach their full potential without confidence, and as an employer, it is your responsibility to support your team in reaching that potential. It is essential to note the difference between the right and wrong types of confidence. To encourage the correct type of confidence, individuals need to know their role and the industry in which they work.  Consider the following points when working on building more confident teams:

Permit people to be confident

Show your team that it is okay to fail

Encourage your team to be responsible for their personal growth

Encourage positive thinking

Set your team's achievable goals

Give people permission to be confident

In any business, there is some hierarchical structure; however, it is up to you how that order works and how it is implemented. Avoid creating an environment with a strict culture of micromanagement and encourage people to be in control of their own success and development. 

Having a company structure where the management gets the final say encourages people to back down and not challenge opinions with their own beliefs. Be open and allow people to express their feelings to promote a collaborative environment where people can be heard.

Celebrating your team’s achievements is also great for building confidence within teams. Celebrate all the little successes and share individual success with the team to encourage open praise and support. Develop a culture of inclusiveness and show people it’s okay to be proud of their success. Avoid dwelling on mistakes people have made and focus on the positive.

Show your team that it is okay to fail

Not everyone will succeed all the time, and that is okay. Being a confident role model means showing people it is okay to fail. You do not want the fear of failing to hold people back.  As a manager, it is essential to show people you know you make mistakes sometimes, and it is not a sign of weakness.  Show them that if you can move past your mistakes, they can do the same.

Sometimes, it can be uncomfortable to address mistakes with team members; however, these situations do not need to be negative. Sitting with the individual and understanding where they went wrong is more encouraging than being ‘told off’. Address mistakes by offering more training or mentoring so that people can improve and grow. Knowledge also encourages confidence, and by providing continuous training and development, your team’s motivation and confidence will increase.

Encourage your team to be responsible for their own personal growth

As soon as someone starts working at your company, it’s essential to let them be curious.  Let them ask as many questions as needed – it is positive!  The more information they collect about the role, the better equipped they are for it. 

It is also essential to ask them questions about their growth and personal development so they think about what they want, can take action, and pave the way for their success. Identify areas where they are the least confident and offer them training so they can gain knowledge and actively work on becoming more confident.

Always offer continuous training and development to encourage growth and confidence. This will also increase their likelihood of staying with your company for longer.

Encourage positive thinking

Many people who lack self-confidence focus on negative thoughts. Negativity can impact every aspect of work, including the ability to believe you can successfully thrive in a role.

Encourage people to think positively by making them ‘flip their thoughts’. For example, if someone thinks, ‘I’m not smart enough for this project’, make them believe ‘, I have brilliant people around me who can offer me support and guidance.’

Flipping negative thoughts can create a mind shift and build more confidence; however, there needs to be training to adopt it.

Implement more positive thought training into regular training sessions to encourage confidence. Teams are more likely to achieve when they think positively.

Set your team achievable goals

Having goals and reaching them is the ultimate way to build confidence in your team. The buzz and praise someone feels when they have reached a goal will strengthen their confidence in completing the tasks that got them there.

SMART goals are a great way to encourage people to work towards something. Set the goals with the individuals and work with them to create a plan to achieve them. Offering support and guidance shows you are committed to the individual’s success and that you want to see them achieve it. Showing you believe in your employees will not only build confidence in your team but also create a more collaborative environment.

Overall, leaders and managers need to encourage their teams to find the right balance between self-confidence and motivation to have more motivated, highly effective, and productive teams. To do this, leaders and managers must encourage, praise, and offer continuous training and development to ensure individuals are equipped with everything they need to be confident in their roles and industries. After all, confidence is knowledge.