Our friends at Caterer.com share some tips to help hospitality people stay confident, even when facing challenging times.
For many people, the return to work in hospitality has been tinged with anxiety. As we move to full reopening, some are returning to work after months on furlough and have new roles or employers. Whilst the passion for working in our dynamic industry remains, for some there has been an understandable dip in confidence.
Feeling we are failing at something can quickly dent our confidence, if we allow it! We all know someone who exudes confidence no matter what’s happening around them. How do they sustain their confidence in the face of challenges and failures?
Bouncing back with confidence
What hospitality people have experienced recently has created changes for many. How we deal with these will take resilience. But there is an upside! There’s a feeling of positivity about being at work again and people are generally optimistic for the future. Focusing on this positivity will help you to see challenges as stepping-stones towards personal success and achievements, instead of stumbling blocks that stop you from achieving your goals.
Visualise the positive outcomes
We like to share experiences, good and bad, and our brains create an internal story that we pass on to work colleagues, family or friends. The story we create about our experiences is called ‘narrative identity’ and it has the power to influence our behaviour, confidence, and happiness.
If your confidence at work is low, or you’re faced with a challenge that feels overwhelming, one way to increase positive feelings is to create an internal story that starts with the challenge or event you are facing but brings you to a positive outcome. For example, ‘l lost my job, but now I can …’ or ‘I am new to this company, but what I can bring to it is…’.
Ask ‘what?’ not ‘why?’
When faced with something that could affect our confidence it’s natural to start analysing the situation. Using “what?” rather than “why?” helps you look at the situation constructively and can have a really positive impact on how you move forward.
This is because “why” questions can lead to over-analysing the problem or challenge (e.g. ‘why did it happen to me?’), whilst “what” questions can help us decide on a course of action (e.g. ‘what can I do to move forward?’).
Using “what” questions will boost your confidence because you are concentrating on the actions you need to take, that are within your reach, and will help you to make more constructive decisions.
By using these two simple ideas you can boost your confidence and become more positive when faced with challenges at work. Try it!
For more advice about working in hospitality and finding the right role for you, visit Caterer.com Career Advice Hub.
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