By Dana Rhodes, Chief Operating Officer
Axtella
Let’s face it – no professional is ever done growing. It takes active work and practice to keep evolving. And no matter if you’re starting your career or you’re a seasoned veteran, imposter syndrome can rear its ugly head and shake your confidence. None of us are safe!
I recently spoke with Joanna and Leah about my professional career, and after our conversation, I found myself reflecting on some of the pieces of advice I shared. Below are three tips that have helped me time and time again throughout my professional career. Consider these if you’re looking for guidance on how to build, boost, or maintain your professional confidence.
1. Build Community
It can be paramount to your mental health to have allies or a supportive community at work. I’m thinking of that network you can learn from and that supports each other’s growth. A great example of this organically popped up at Axtella when several of my female colleagues and I began casually meeting to talk about work and the financial services industry. Fast forward to today, and we’ve formally established Nova’s Women Collective, a group of female financial professionals and staff who share best practices and learn from each other to foster professional growth.
That’s not to say you have to create a formal group through your organization to build community. Simply finding colleagues with similar experiences, values, or growth goals and being there for each other can make a world of difference during stressful work periods.
2. Know Your Non-Negotiable Needs
In most professional environments, you need to know when to pick your battles – which typically means knowing what your non-negotiable needs are. An example that comes to mind is from when I first started working for Axtella. Our firm is headquartered in Michigan, but I’m based in Texas. I’m fortunate enough to work remotely, which was important for me to maintain. As a working mother, I valued keeping my family in Texas rather than relocating across the country, and I was fortunate to find a firm that shared those values.
I mention this because I believe knowing which facets of your working environment and responsibilities are non-negotiable can help guide your everyday working life. You will undoubtedly have to make concessions or compromises in your day-to-day…that’s just a part of business. I believe it’s valuable to spend time reflecting on which of your values are your true north, so when conversations arise, you can approach them more confidently.
3. Develop Your Mantra – and Live It!
I had a boss and mentor years ago who gave me a piece of advice I’ll never forget. I came into her office and unloaded a flood of work-related stresses and anxieties to her. It took her telling me one sentence to change my perspective: she told me, “Stuff always has a way of working itself out.” It was so simple, but it rocked me. Years later, I continue to tell myself and my daughter this mantra, and it helps keep my stress level down.
I know, I know, mantras can sometimes come across as hokey or sappy. But don’t underestimate the power in having a grounding phrase that you can turn toward to keep you from spiraling. If you haven’t come up with a mantra to get you through tough times, think about what motivates you or what can help calm your nerves – and then make the conscious effort to try to live that mantra in your day-to-day life.
Ultimately, these tips only scratch the surface of ways to build your confidence and support yourself at work. Everyone’s methodologies are going to look different, so this is not the end-all-be-all list of ways to succeed. Rather, I hope it serves as a jumping off point for you, so that when those stressful times come your way, you have the wherewithal to know how to shake off the insecurities and the doubts, roll up your sleeves, and get to work.
