Imposter trying to steal your job? Gain some credibility!

At some point or other, we’ve probably all been there

So, you’ve prepared for that meeting with your manager – time to show them what an asset you are. You know your new ideas will bring about great things for the team, the organisation and the beneficiaries. You get in there and just as you start your pitch … they interrupt, take the conversation somewhere else, and completely overrun your thoughts. Doh! You leave their office with a list of things to do,  agreeing “yes that’s fine” (when it’s really not) and not having spoken up. You go back to the desk feeling wretched and frustrated.

Sound familiar? We’ve probably all had similar experiences – we didn’t say what we wanted, or didn’t say it how we wanted, or didn’t say it to whom we needed to say it – or completely said the wrong thing, in the wrong way, at the wrong time to the wrong person. Remember the feeling afterwards of wanting to curl up into a ball and turn back time? Ouch!

The ridiculous part is when we say “It just wasn’t me”, “I wouldn’t usually do that”, and “What came over me?” Well, here’s the blow – it was you. You mightn’t usually do it or want to do it but clearly, sometimes, you do. What came over you was your own self-created imposter – it’s a bit of you, but it’s not the best bit. Sometimes, we are the imposter we take to work – and the imposter goes to work on destroying our credibility with those we most want to influence or impress.

The journey to communicating confidently at work

Imagine you could send your best self to work every day. The ‘you’ who speaks up, articulates thoughts and ideas in a way that gets others to listen, is assertive, confident and professional. Imagine yourself at that meeting and walking away knowing you said the right thing in the right way at the right time to the right person. Hurrah! You go back to the desk feeling motivated, appreciated and valued (a much better frame of mind to tackle the To-Do list you will still probably have!!).

Communicating Confidently at Work is not dependent on the job title or (for the most part) on others. And it is certainly not dependent on a wish or magic wand. It is dependent on you! How you behave – words and actions – and how that informs someone else’s perception of you. It’s also not an overnight thing – it requires making changes and practising new habits. The good news is that you don’t have to let that imposter steal your job and erode your credibility. As your reputation is dependent on you – it is you who can make the difference

Need help with boosting your confidence, we have a course for you!

Join Cathy Shimmin, Senior Training Consultant at Directory of Social Change, for our Confident Communication at Work course on Tuesday 30 August. We will look at what drives our values, what can undermine our confidence and importantly, strategies for developing the confidence to take the best you to work, everyday.

Click here to find out more and register.