OKRS: How to build unstoppable team confidence

“Believe in your infinite potential. Your only limitations are those you set upon yourself.”

Roy T Bennet

We require the financial and human resources, skills-building capacity, and execution excellence to achieve OKRs. What should be considered is that we also require a high degree of self-confidence and team confidence to attain far-reaching goals.

Irrespective of impressive CVs and experience, we are doubtful to achieve far-reaching goals if we do not believe we can achieve them. Our limitations are often set only in our minds and are generally false expectations.

Having confidence is the culmination of several factors. We are human and therefore fallible, but through consistent and focused effort, we can build strong confidence in a Vision, objective, or cause.

What is Confidence?

According to the Oxford dictionary, confidence is ‘the feeling or belief that one can have faith in or rely on someone or something.’ We require social confidence to collaborate on and achieve our OKRs. Social confidence is the belief that jointly, as a team, we can and will achieve great things. My team members will support me, complement my weaknesses, and help me grow, and I will do the same for them so that we can excel and jointly move forward.

Self-confidence is only sustainable and ads value to others when we believe in our own capabilities yet never allow oursleves to become arrogant

People are often mystified by some individuals extremely high levels of confidence as they observe them in a social setting. These individuals seem to effortlessly attract people to them, have bouyant, entertaining ,interesting conversations and leave lasting impressions.

The critical question is: Are you born with a certain amount of confidence, and others have more than some, or can you build trust?

The answer that confidence is a skill and you can build it over time akin to any other skill. Self-confidence at its granular level consists out of:

  1. Self-trust.                              We all make promises to ourselves yet tend to underestimate what impact the ‘self-promises we make’ have on our levels of self-confidence: If we regularly break promises that we have made to ourselves, such as, ‘I will start working harder on Monday,’ I will start going to the gym on Monday’, it erodes our self-confidence over time.

We will only truly trust ourselves when we start taking our ‘self-promises seriously and fulfil them.

2. Immersive skills building

When we consistently focus on skills that have a high impact on our Vision, we practice them daily and refine them over time; it will support the growth of our confidence levels and dramatically enhance our chances of success.

3. Mentorship

Anyone that made it to the top and stayed there had the help and support of others. Receiving advice and guidance from a highly experienced mentor is the ideal supplement to building self-trust and meaningful skills.

In order to increase awareness of the high value of quality mentorship it is worthwhile to do the following exercise:

Google any leader, celebrity, or famous sportsman or woman and ask who their mentor was. You will find an answer because there is no such thing as a ‘self-made man’ or at a particular juncture on their respective journeys.

Most leaders understand that they must create more leaders and are likely to accept sincere requests for guidance and mentorship. Having regular and insightful conversations with someone reaches a very high confidence level.

Team confidence

The foundation of team confidence is self-confidence – I can and will consistently make valuable contributions to the team. Team confidence is the belief that jointly, we will attain our goals because we:

Trust each other

We share the same values

we support and help each other

We complement both each others weaknesses and strengths

High-performing teams are typified by being nearby when they communicate with each other. They see the team goals as more important than their own and are galvanized around a compelling team vision and purpose.

Our OKR Leadership course shows you how to build team confidence in you as a leader and how to guide your team ‘to the mountain top’.

FAQs

What is the importance of confidence in achieving OKRs?

Confidence is crucial in achieving OKRs because it empowers individuals and teams to believe in their capabilities, overcome challenges, and stay committed to their goals. Without confidence, even the most skilled and experienced individuals may falter in the face of obstacles.

Can confidence be developed, or is it an innate trait?

Confidence can be developed over time. It is a skill that can be built through self-trust, consistent skills-building, and mentorship. By setting and fulfilling self-promises, focusing on impactful skills, and seeking guidance from mentors, individuals can enhance their self-confidence.

How does self-confidence contribute to team confidence?

Self-confidence forms the foundation of team confidence. When individuals trust their abilities and contributions, they are more likely to support and collaborate effectively with their team members. This collective trust and support lead to a cohesive team that believes in achieving shared goals.

What role does mentorship play in building confidence?

Mentorship plays a significant role in building confidence by providing guidance, support, and valuable insights from experienced individuals. Mentors help mentees navigate challenges, refine their skills, and boost their self-trust, ultimately enhancing their confidence levels.

How can leaders foster team confidence within their organizations?

Leaders can foster team confidence by creating an environment of trust, shared values, and mutual support. By setting a compelling vision, encouraging open communication, and recognizing individual and team achievements, leaders can build a confident and high-performing team. The OKR Leadership course offers strategies to help leaders build and guide their teams to success.

Talent Development Director of the OKR Institute