Here is how you build confidence. The type of confidence that counts.
Confidence equation in two minutes: Background.
The Hot Mommas Project women’s leadership research initiative with the partnership of the George Washington School of Business Center for Entrepreneurial Excellence has adapted and tested elements of famed social psychologist Albert Bandura’s self-efficacy principles to arrive at “The Confidence Equation.” Tests have taken place with women aged 18-55 starting in 2009. Time periods tested ranged from 30 minutes to 20 hours with women of varying backgrounds, nationalities, and ages.
Below is the equation that produces an increase in self-efficacy, defined as “I feel confident to create opportunities for myself.”
Confidence equation in two minutes: 50% = you, 50% = mentors
GOAL, GET, GIVE.
Bandura’s four ways to increase self-efficacy (Mastery Experiences, Social Modeling, Social Persuasion, States of physiology) were ordered, and combined into a series of exercises including all four of Bandura’s elements. For user friendliness, the exercise components are named: GOAL, GET, GIVE.
GOAL (When did you crush it? Plan your next one.) 25%
Goal is the “mastery experience”. Think about a time you overcame a challenge, accomplished a “stretch” goal, and had an aha moment: “I did that!”
- Future step: What is your current challenge, or next stretch goal?
GET (five or more mentors) 50%
- Get is the social modeling and social persuasion components. The assignment: Get five mentors. Our surveys of 269 working women in the US shows a higher level of confidence when women had five or more professional mentors. Those with four or fewer had 20% lower self-evaluated self confidence and perceptions of success.
- A second critical step is to evaluate what these mentors are saying to you. The feedback might not always be easy, but do they have your best interest at heart? If not, they need to be moved to another rung of your associations. They do not get a seat at the mentor table of five (or more).
- The influence of role models, Bandura notes, has a more significant impact on the women’s self-efficacy vs. men’s (Bandura, 1982).
GIVE (yourself a break – nix the negative self talk) 25%
Give is the states of psychology. Our method focuses on the negative self-talk that can detract from the positive steps in “GOAL” (mastery experience) and “GET” (social modeling and persuasion). Think about the assassin, the voice in your head, that undermines you. What does it say? And, now, what do you say back to it? It is time to conquer the assassin. Develop a plan for defeating the negative self-talk.
Conclusion:
As you may have discerned, half of the confidence equation is you, and half is about other people (role models, mentors). Choose wisely, set stretch goals, and build your self-efficacy.