In continuing our focus on hands-on tools to raise your Confidence, below is another strategy adapted from Leading with Emotional Intelligence. As an outgrowth of creating your Success Log in the last blog, keep a current log of daily or weekly successes and achievements.

The More-Over

As a Self-Awareness exercise it is important to know about your strengths, passions and excitement. I often ask clients to follow what impresses them. If you are impressed by someone or something, what is it that impresses you? Usually, it is something that I could do more of or better for me. Then what are some actions to do those behaviors or characteristics more.

In coaching, I tell leaders it is not about doing a make-over but a more-over. This is usually easier to hear than something they need to change. They already know how to do it and how they can increase the frequency of that behavior. The example I use is the exerciser who exercises three times a week, which meets expectations. To exceed expectations and be a top performer they would need to exercise five or more times a week. Same behavior, but do it more or do it better. That is what we are trying to identify in this exercise; what are the strengths to replicate more?

Awareness Questions:

• What was your biggest success today?
• What activities brought you the greatest energy today?
• What was the most fun you had today?
• What are you most proud about today?
• What impressed you the most during the day?
• What was the best interaction of the day you had?
• What brought you the most joy today?

Best Practice Questions:

After a few weeks, analyze these successes by answering this set of questions to establish the patterns and best practices;

• What efforts did you make to achieve your successes?
• What was your preparation?
• What obstacles did you have to overcome?
• How did you feel about yourself afterward?
• What did people say about your achievements?
• How do you minimize your successes?
• What patterns or themes emerge from these successes?
• What key best practices or guidelines emerge for use in future endeavors?
• How will you build and broaden upon these successes?

Good luck,

Relly