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BEHAVIORAL EQ®

BEHAVIORAL EQ®

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TRACOM’s Behavioral EQ Model™ is based on the latest research in both brain function and performance. It focuses on the most important elements of Emotional Intelligence and those that can be successfully developed. The Model consists of four dimensions which house the fifteen various core competencies. The Behavioral EQ Explorations series takes a closer look each of these core competencies. This whitepaper focuses on Self-Confidence.

Self-Confidence is an essential component of the Behavioral EQ Model. It refers to the feelings associated with self-worth and personal competence. It is an indicator of the confidence a person feels in their knowledge and abilities, and their ability to convey this confidence to others. People with high Self-Confidence are seen by others as self-assured and responsible. They are able to step out of their comfort zones and embrace new challenges.

THE BEHAVIOR AL EQ “E XPLOR ATION S” SERIES

Self-Confidence

ExplorationsBEHAVIORAL EQ®

“Confidence is contagious. So is lack of confidence.”— Vince Lombardi

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Do You Lack Self-Confidence?

You have prepared thoroughly for an important meeting – you’ve reviewed the information and carefully developed your position. When you enter the conference room, however, surrounded by your colleagues and superiors, you begin to feel uneasy. You have a hard time inserting yourself into the conversation and making your ideas known. You sit back quietly and watch as the conversation unfolds before you. Meanwhile, your colleagues, those with the self-confidence to speak up and take an active role in the conversation, are the ones who end up making an impact. They get the recognition, not to mention career opportunities. Does this scenario sound familiar to you?

You know you have the smarts and technical skills to be successful, but it’s a lack of confidence that’s holding you back. More generally, this lack of confidence may make it difficult for you to go outside your comfort zone and pursue challenging assignments, make decisions, reach out to new people, or assert your values and desires. Lack of confidence can be a significant barrier to career success.

Over and over again, research affirms the importance of self-confidence for career success. It’s been linked not only to career success, but also job satisfaction, career status, and salary. i, ii, iii, iv In professional occupations, those with high self-confidence earn $28,000 more than those with low self-confidence. And, according to the book, “The Confidence Code,” confidence is more predictive of career success than competence! v Why does this happen? Confident people view the world more positively and are more likely to persevere through challenges. For example, research shows that those with high self-confidence view challenges as deserved opportunities to learn and grow, while those with low self-esteem view challenges as chances to fail.vi Confident people also set more ambitious goals and persist longer on difficult assignments, which opens up more opportunities.vii Moreover, they choose occupations that support their interests, which leads to greater job satisfaction. viii

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Interestingly, confidence is partly genetic – there are a certain group of genes related to confidence. So, some people are just wired to be more confident.v This does not mean, however, that the rest of us are doomed to sit quietly in the background while others get all the recognition. Neuroscientists have found that you can cultivate new neural pathways to overcome your genes and change your beliefs and behavior. Here are two strategies that you can use immediately to enhance your confidence.

1. Strike a Power Pose

We know that our attitudes influence our behavior, but it’s also true that our behaviors influence our attitudes. When we behave with self-assurance and composure, our brain configures itself to feel the same way – we begin to release hormones like testosterone that changes our body chemistry and increases confidence.

Amy Cuddy, a social psychologist at Harvard University, has shown that by adopting “high power poses” – by expanding and taking up physical space – people can decrease their stress and increase their sense of dominance, even on a hormonal level. She conducted a study in which she asked participants to adopt, for two minutes, either a high power pose or a low power pose (compared to high power poses, low power poses are contractive). She then asked them how powerful they felt, gave them an opportunity to gamble, and took a saliva sample. Of those who adopted the high power poses, 86% chose to gamble, and of those who adopted the low power poses, only 60% chose to gamble. High power poses were associated with an increase in testosterone (the dominance hormone) and a lowering of cortisol (the stress hormone), while low power poses were associated with the opposite trend.ix So, something very simple such as body posture can significantly influence they way we feel and perform.

Before your next stressful situation, such as a presentation or important meeting, go into a private room and adopt a high power pose for two minutes. It may have a dramatic effect on your performance.

BEHAVIORAL EQ®

BEHAVIORAL EQ®

How Can We Strengthen Our Self-Confidence?

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2. Analyze and challenge your self-talk

Research shows that people speak to themselves endlessly, using hundreds of words every minute. In fact, we speak to ourselves at a rate that is significantly faster than we can even speak out loud! However, much of what we say to ourselves is negative and damaging to our confidence. For example, researchers have identified categories of automatic thought patterns that people have in response to stress. Here are just a few. You might relate to some of these more than others:

• We catastrophize. We imagine the worst possible outcome and exaggerate the likelihood that it will occur (“If I lose my job, I will die.”).

• We assume. We assume the worst without testing the evidence (“If I ask for a promotion, I won’t get it.”).

• We internalize. We assume responsibility for things that aren’t our fault (“My boss was short with me today, he must be unhappy with me.”).

• We label ourselves. (“I’m such an idiot.”).

• We “should” on ourselves. We create categorical imperatives for ourselves that leave us feeling stifled and frustrated (“I should be a manager by the time I’m 35.”).

We can interrupt this stream of negative thinking by stepping back, evaluating these thoughts, and correcting them so they are more realistic. This can fundamentally change how we view ourselves and the world, and build our confidence.

Confidence really is a skill. By remembering to employ these simple, in-the-moment strategies, you may dramatically change your beliefs and behavior. And the trajectory of your career.

BEHAVIORAL EQ®

BEHAVIORAL EQ®

How Can We Strengthen Our Self-Confidence? — cont.

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About TRACOM Group’s Behavioral EQ Model™: TRACOM Group’s Behavioral EQ Model is the third generation of Emotional Intelligence, focusing on skills that are most related to performance and that can be practiced and developed. This model encompasses emotional intelligence (this refers to how well we perceive and understand our own emotions and the emotions of others) and behavioral intelligence (this refers to how well we manage personal behavior and relationships). Behavioral elements of our Behavioral EQ model are the most important because these skills are visible to others and most strongly predictive of job performance and career success.

Learn more about TRACOM’s Behavioral EQ Model and the other elements that comprise the model here.

Author: Dr. Natalie Wolfson, Organizational Research Consultant for The TRACOM Group

6675 South Kenton Street, Suite 118 Centennial, CO 80111 303-470-4900 www.tracomcorp.com

References:

i. Day, R., & Allen, T. D. (2004). The relationship between career motivation and self-efficacy with protegé career success. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 64, 72–91.

ii. Saks, A. M. (1995). Longitudinal field investigation of the moderating and mediating effects of self-efficacy on the relationship between training and newcomer adjustment. Journal of Applied Psychology, 80, 211–225.

iii. Abele, A. E, & Spurk D. (2009). The longitudinal impact of self-efficacy and career goals on objective and subjective career success. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 74, 53-62.

iv. Judge T. A, & Bono J. E. (2001). Relationship of core self-evaluations traits-self-Esteem, generalized self-efficacy, locus of control, and emotional stability-with job satisfaction and job performance: A meta-Analysis. Journal of Applied Psychology, 86, 80-92.

v. Kay, K., & Shipman, C. (2014). The Confidence Code. New York, NY: Harper Collins Publishers.

vi. Locke, E. A., McClear, K., & Knight, D. (1996). Self-esteem and work. International Review of Industrial/Organizational Psychology, 11, 1-32.

vii. Bandura, A. (1986). Social foundations of thought and action: A social cognitive theory. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.

viii. Tharenou, P. (1979). Employee self-esteem: A review of the literature. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 15, 316-346.

ix. Carney, D. R., Cuddy, A. J. C., & Yap, A. J. (2010). Power posing: Brief nonverbal displays affect neuroendrocrine levels and risk tolerance. Psychological Science, 1-6.