RAB Insights

RAB Research Archive

A Culture of Confidence



Yesterday, we shared the five benefits of confidence and how a safe, learning environment can be a breeding ground for confidence. Today, we’ll share three things required for confidence to be inspired and nurtured.

Brittany Packnett – activist, educator, writer, says: It may sound simple, but confidence is something that we underestimate the importance of. We treat it like a nice-to-have instead of a must-have. We place value on knowledge and resources above what we deem to be the soft skill of confidence. But by most measures, we have more knowledge and more resources now than at any other point in history, and still injustice abounds, and challenges persist. If knowledge and resources were all that we needed, we wouldn't still be here.

Packnett says it takes three things to crack the code of confidence:

1. Permission – people need to be encouraged and given permission to be confident

2. Community – people need other people to help build them up

3. Curiosity – people with curiosity take responsibility for their own learning, for their own growth and are constantly looking for more

As managers, leaders and sellers, we can all help each other and our teams with confidence. One of the greatest confidence builders is achievement. When sellers feel safe to explore and try new things, are encouraged to learn new things and rewarded for learning from mistakes instead of being punished, the seeds of confidence start to take root. Then as they grow, learn and explore, they achieve more, they gain more confidence and they become unstoppable.

When I work with teams, I can tell those that are oozing with confidence and those that need some help. Can you feel the confidence in your building? If it’s not at the level you want, hopefully these tips and tools the last two days will help.

Jeff Schmidt is SVP-Professional Development at the Radio Advertising Bureau. You can reach Jeff at Jeff.Schmidt@RAB.com. or follow him on social media: Twitter and LinkedIn.

Source: Jeff Schmidt, RAB