The imitation game • 2 min read
James Maddux, a psychology professor and senior scholar, proposes a fifth pillar for self-belief. He champions the idea that we can help build up our self-belief by visualising ourselves performing successfully on a given task.
This is commonly known as ‘visualisation’ and it’s a tool used by many professionals to help with confidence.
Introduction
This week, we’ll look at the two pillars of self-belief that are influenced by other people. The four pillars of self-belief are:
1. Mastery experiences
2. Physiological states
3. Social modelling
4. Social persuasion
In today’s discussion, we’ll focus on social modelling—one of the primary sources from which employees can draw self-belief.
Most employees have role models within the workplace. The important question is: how can these role models help boost your employees’ levels of confidence to succeed?
Social modelling
Social modelling is the concept that demonstrates how motivation and self-belief within your workforce can be increased when employees see their role models achieving success. When employees witness their peers accomplishing goals through dedication and perseverance, it can act as a catalyst for boosting their own self-belief.
When employees observe someone with a strong sense of self-belief, they may begin to believe that they too, possess the necessary abilities and mindset to achieve their objectives. Essentially, your employees can be influenced by others to believe they have the skill sets and competencies to accomplish their goals.
Let’s look at an example of a professional ‘influencer’.
Social modelling in practice
Vinny is behind his performance target, and his confidence for getting back on track is beginning to wane. He decides that he needs a booster shot of self-belief so he begins to observe his colleague Amandeep in action.
Amandeep is thriving—she’s not only ahead of her performance target but also exudes confidence. Vinny notices that she has embedded strong habits that allow her to consistently prioritise and focus on her key tasks. He observes that she is:
saying no to certain requests that take her away from the most important tasks.
blocking her calendar out during specific times of the day to ensure she's focusing her time and energy on the most important aspects of her role.
following a successful process that she has developed and refined over time.
Vinny’s motivation and self-belief begin to increase as he sees that Amandeep’s methods and perseverance are resulting in successful outcomes.
Key takeaways
Social modelling is a core component of self-belief within your workforce.
Employees can enhance their self-belief when they observe how their colleagues or role models achieve success.
Identify professional influencers within your organisation. This could be a colleague, manager, or leader. Encourage employees to observe their work habits and methods, particularly in areas where they are looking to improve their self-belief.
Think big, act small
In which areas of your employees’ roles could they benefit from a boost in self-belief?
For example, this could be in their communication skills. Do you have employees with excellent communication skills?
Encourage your workforce to observe them and identify specific aspects of their communication style they can adopt and practice.
Content sources
Positivepsychology.com, What is Self-Efficacy Theory in Psychology?, Courtney Ackerman
SimplyPsychology, Self-Efficacy Theory, Gabriel Lopez-Garrido
Verywell Mind, Self Efficacy and Why Believing in Yourself Matters, Kendra Cherry
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