Level up your career
Every week, I’ll write one bite-sized, practical career lesson you can use at all stages of your career.
Today’s insight: Simply ways to sound more confident at work
Sometimes, you meet people who are just naturally confident. They have that ‘CEO energy‘ — they’re clear, direct and have a way of commanding respect from others.
You might be surprised to learn that most of them didn’t start out confident. Even if it appears natural, confidence is always something you can actively practice and develop.
There are simple things you, too, can do to appear more confident in your communication. Today, I’ll cover one of the easiest and most impactful ones that you can start using right away: language hacks.
The language you use matters…
There are common phrases we use that can actually make us seem less confident than we are. Let’s go through three of them I see most often and explain what to use instead:
1. 
Stop over-apologizing
Of course, it’s good to say sorry when you’ve made a mistake. But, most people say sorry a bit too much, which undermines your authority and makes you appear less confident.
Bad: “Sorry I couldn’t get back to you sooner“, or “Sorry, I can’t make this meeting“
Good: “Thanks for your patience” or “I’m tied up, count me out”
Pay attention to the times you say sorry for things that really aren’t your fault. Then, try to actively reduce them.
2. 
Be more receptive to compliments
A lot of us often dismiss compliments we receive as a reflex action. When someone says something like “Great work”, we water it down by saying, “It was nothing…” or “It could be better…”
Those responses not only make light of our work, but also make it seem like we didn’t put as much effort in as we could have.
The next time you get a compliment, say, “I’m glad you like it”.
3. 
Be direct when asking others for help
When you’re asking someone for a favor, it’s easy to be overly polite and apologetic.
Bad: “I know how busy you are, but…”, “I hate to bother you…”, or “It would be great if you could…”
Instead, be direct with your asks and don’t assume you’re creating a burden on someone:
Good: “Can you update the spreadsheet please?”
It’s a sign of confidence to not beat around the bush.
Remove those phrases from your everyday vocabulary and you’ll already start to appear more confident in your communication.
Please let me know if you find this kind of stuff useful (a quick reply would do). Communication and confidence aren’t things I usually cover in my emails, but they are things I’ve personally struggled with so I feel they could help someone out there!
Reference : Resume Worded – Free instant feedback on your resume and LinkedIn profile