Self-efficacy describes a person’s belief in the abilities they possess to perform their duties. This means feeling confident that they have the tools, skills and experience to perform their job successfully.
Rather than external validation, self-efficacy stems from how a person views themselves and their performance in the workplace. With this in mind, here are five ways to cultivate self-efficacy at work, which will help you attain your goals and rise to greater heights.
1. Seek training opportunities
Training opportunities can help you learn more about your role, systems and processes. The more you learn about these areas, the more you will be assured of your abilities.
Consider asking your manager for training sessions or additional professional development to provide you with greater knowledge and tools to feel confident in your role.
2. Explore mentorship
As mentors have more experience and knowhow, they can provide you with invaluable guidance. Employees sometimes find it difficult to ask their bosses questions, which is how a mentor can help by providing essential answers.
You may also want to consider being a mentor yourself, and therefore assist those who are new to their roles. This can help you enhance your leadership skills and self-confidence.
3. Set goals
Setting goals is important for motivation and confidence. Along with the goals prescribed by your company and manager, individual objectives will help you improve your own performance.
List down smaller targets, such as learning a new skill, and detailing the steps you can take to achieve them. As you reach certain milestones, you will find the motivation to achieve larger goals.
4. Ask for feedback
Although self-efficacy is derived from one’s own convictions, seeking feedback can aid its development. Requesting for your manager or coworkers to evaluate your work can provide you with invaluable insight on your performance and areas in need of improvement.
You can then take this input into account as you work independently.
5. Reflect on your performance
Your ability to reflect honestly on your performance is a critical component of self-efficacy. Review your progress towards your goals, as well as your processes and time management; you may then learn where you shine and where you can do better.
If you notice any areas that require improvement, work on them or seek help from others to boost your confidence in your abilities.
This article was originally written by Nurin Abdullah for jobstore.com, an online job site that specialises in providing jobseekers with the latest job opportunities by matching talented individuals with reputable companies in Malaysia. Find your dream job with over 40,000 job vacancies in Malaysia.