You Know What You’re Doing

One of the common challenges executives share with me is they want their teams to feel and show up more confident. “Mark, I trust them more than they trust themselves,” is a consistent theme.

When we address confidence in our profession, it’s not only vocal tone or body posture. It’s the mindset we belong in the same room as other business leaders. And it’s the feeling we belong that positively impacts our self-esteem.

I am here to tell you that you know what you’re doing. 

According to the American Psychological Association, “A reasonably high degree of self-esteem is considered an important ingredient of mental health.”

In our profession, having high self-esteem gives you the confidence to know you’re there to solve a problem and you’re the best person to do so.

Here are a few reminders if you’re experiencing confidence challenges.

Understand what problems we’re solving. 

As a reminder, the problems we solve aren’t “We need to write a press release,” “We need to get in The Wall Street Journal” or “We need to go viral.” The problems we solve include but are not limited to: “There is a natural disaster, and we need to ensure our constituents are safe,” “We need to increase our revenue by 10 percent in Q4” or “We need to reduce employee turnover by five percent in 2025.”

Realize that you have expertise no one else has. 

If you’re the only PR person in a meeting, then remember the unique experience you offer. Others around the virtual or in-person table may have pitched a reporter or written a press release, but does that mean they have our level of expertise? No! Do we question an accountant’s job because we can build complicated spreadsheets, or programmers fixing a software bug because we took one coding class in college? No!

Know that you are there for a reason. 

You’ve earned a seat at the table. You’re not there to check a box. You’re not there just to capture notes and send around action items. You have value. PR professionals are great at many things, including: 

• Focusing on goals and measurable objectives
• Asking important questions others might be afraid to ask
• Identifying research to back up recommendations
• Thinking three steps ahead
• Building sustainable, mutually beneficial relationships. 

Let these be a reminder!

Remember that no one can steal your confidence. 

One of the most challenging aspects of our work is that so much of it is outside of our control. The best-laid plans might be set aside. A great story put together with a reporter might suddenly be canceled, or an executive might pivot to another idea. 

Time and time again, I’ve witnessed frustrated professionals have their confidence impacted by decisions made by others. You can only allow people to rob you of your confidence if you give them the opportunity. 

A sense of strong confidence is a superpower mindset shift in understanding no one else can control that you believe in yourself. 

That said, if you ever need a boost of confidence, then reach out to me! I already know you’re amazing and always here to deliver that reminder.