Confidence at Work

September 12, 2021

Madison knew that Timothy, the manager of her department, was quite interested in upgrading the office technology.  She read an article in one of the trade journals that came to the office about a new kind of equipment that she felt would greatly increase productivity and efficiency.  

Although she was somewhat shy, Madison decided to approach her manager with the information she had.  She copied the article and made an appointment with Timothy.  

During their meeting, she described to him her idea for implementing this new technology she had learned about.  Timothy was very impressed, and he was so glad she came to talk with him.

Afraid of Management?

Are you afraid of management?  When you walk down the hall and see one of your management leaders, does your heart beat faster and do your hands get sweaty?  Do you breathe a little faster and feel a little flustered?

You’re not alone.  Many employees feel intimidated when they’re face-to-face with management, whether it’s seeing them in the hallway, being in a team meeting with them, or working on a project with them.  If you allow your nervousness to have power over you, you can experience doubt and hesitation which could lead to unnecessary errors.

Tips to Interacting with Confidence with Management

First of all, look them in the eye and give them a firm handshake. Your handshake should be palm to palm, not fingers to fingers.  I’ve had those sometimes.  And not wimpy handshakes.  And not so hard that you’re hurting the other person’s hand.  But a firm handshake palm to palm.  Looking them in the eye and giving them a firm handshake are gestures that demonstrate confidence.

Stand in your power and let them see your brilliance.  Meet them at their level - respectful person to respectful person.  Don’t be arrogant, but don’t act like you’re reaching up either.  Be assertive and look straight across at them. 

Find out whether something is particularly important to them. Don’t forget that leaders have needs too.  By asking, you may discover a way to help and increase your exposure at the same time. Listen and ask questions when necessary.

Don’t make excuses if you don’t accomplish a task on time or do a poor job.  It’s much better to be honest than to always give excuses. Do what you say you’re going to do, do it in a timely manner, and do it well.  

"Find out whether something is particularly important to them.  Don’t forget that leaders have needs too."

You can converse with management also.  Listen and let them lead the conversation.  Don’t say anything unless you have something to say.  Let them tell you what they’re thinking.  

And if you’re in a meeting or you’re meeting with your team, remember that you were invited and you have something they want.  So speak up when you have ideas or comments.  Remember that someone was impressed by what you do and how you do it, and that person has extended you the opportunity to be in the meeting or to be part of the team.  Don’t forget this.  

Give information that is pertinent to that person’s responsibilities. Speaking to an executive may be vastly different from speaking to a middle manager.  Discover what each expects and speak to those expectations.  

Determine the best time to present new information or new ideas. It’s important to observe management leaders to recognize when they’re stressed out or when they feel they’re crunched for time.  If a leader is walking in a hurry with their eyes staring straight ahead, you know now is not the best time to share something with them. Wait until they’re relaxed so they’ll be more open to you.

Being confident when you deal with management leaders is crucial to being seen as responsible and able to deal with them in order to earn their trust and respect.   Doing this for an extended period of time will more likely lead to your promotion and acceptance into management itself.