We all find ourselves, from time to time, in situations that are new to us. Perhaps you have taken on a new job with greater responsibilities than you’re comfortable with. Or maybe you’ve been given a new task within your job that you haven’t had to deal with before. Whatever the new challenge, when asked to do something that pushes us outside our comfort zone, we either sink or swim.
Evaluate your skills and address the gaps
First of all know your limits. These will stretch once you build more skills, knowledge and experience. This isn’t about undervaluing your abilities, it’s about being honest with yourself and accessing resources to help you achieve your aims.
Resources might include company specific information and research or information and support offered by industry specific professional bodies. Courses, workshops and others with the knowledge, skills or experience you lack, would also be a valuable resource.
You’ll be far more credible in achieving your aims if you start by valuing the contribution that can be made by others. And you’ll almost certainly benefit from what you might learn along the way.
The mechanics of achieving success
Start by breaking down the new challenge. Perhaps writing the challenge as a heading on a piece of paper and listing the steps to achieve your goals.
By each step you would list the skills, knowledge and experience that you would need to complete the challenge.
You would then evaluate what you could confidently contribute, what you need to learn first and what or who else you might need to achieve a good outcome.
You could use this list as a check list and modify as you go. Anything new has a learning curve and you need the flexibility to accept that.
Building your self confidence
Self-confidence is something many people lack. It may be that your new challenge simply asks you to apply, in a different way, skills you already have. Self-doubt is normal but it shouldn’t inhibit your progress.
If you write down the tasks and the steps to achieve it, you could enlist the support of others to help identify your strengths.
Being your worst critic isn’t a bad thing in itself providing you’re able to put the challenge in to perspective and manage unrealistic expectations of yourself. The reality is anything new has a learning curve and it’s unlikely you’d be expected to not access help and support when you need it. Recognising where you need help and support is a strength, not a weakness.
Try positive affirmations. This is a technique that involves listening to positive statements such as:
- I am a capable business person
- I enjoy taking on new ideas and challenges
- What I say is relevant, important and worth listening to
It may seem silly at first but low self confidence is based on a lack of self belief. The statements are aimed at changing the way you think about yourself. Take your time to make up a statement that works for you.
Support
Try social media or industry specific forums for a support network. You’ll be surprised at how many people may be tackling a similar challenge. You may not only benefit from the experiences of others but also be able to share your own.
Others in your workplace may also be able to offer support. Particularly if they are in a similar role or have experience of the challenge you are facing.
In the words of Gerry Rafferty, if you get it wrong, you’ll get it right next time
If you make a few mistakes at first, work out why things didn’t go as planned and learn from it. Don’t beat yourself up. Appreciate what you do right and what you do well. Develop relationships with those you lean on for support and establish which resources were helpful. Then redesign how you go about achieving the challenge in the future.
And finally…
We face new challenges at many stages of our life and career. When we start a new job, take on new responsibilities or start a new business. Success depends on how you approach challenges. Appreciate what you can bring to each task and where you need support. Accept the learning curve and that mistakes will be made along the way. And keep your expectations realistic.