Build Your Confidence

I had just transferred to a new factory and was taking on some new responsibilities. I was a bit anxious since I only had a limited familiarity of these areas. I hoped I could make it work without too many issues. Fortunately, the main responsibility for the role was the same as what I had left, with some differences due to facility specific requirements.

Then I was told I would be the team lead for the big system modification project. I was new to the factory, had the least seniority in the company, and was at the lowest paygrade. It seemed crazy to put me in charge of a project that had huge implications to the factory. To say I was nervous would be the understatement of the century.

Now I had to learn how to handle several new processes and manage a major project. I was constantly worried about screwing something up. Fortunately, I knew several of my new co-workers and they introduced me to the right people to help get it all figured out.

On the project, I was familiar with the overall issues as I had been working on the same modifications at the factory I had left. My challenges on it was coming up to speed on how the system operated and how that would impact the materials we would be using. I had a good team working with me, and thankfully they didn’t resent reporting to the “new girl”. We hit our dates for the change over without disruption to operations. We couldn’t get all the materials in production on time, but we had a viable work around and the factory saw no downtime due to our issues. This was the first time this had been accomplished in this system.

Learning the new processes was harder and in some ways easier. I found one of the maintenance guys was fantastic and taught me everything he knew. He was always ready to answer questions, help me figure things out and was a great person. Without Roger, things would not have gone smoothly at all.

What I realized from all this change was that instead of doubting my abilities to make it work, if I relied on my capability to collaborate and to learn quickly it was all possible. I had to utilize the people around me for help and expertise. I couldn’t do it on my own and I didn’t have to because people were there to help. As I got over my need to know it all, I was able to ask questions, get insights, and bring in a key project on time and under budget, while supporting all the other processes in a new factory.

It wasn’t easy, there were sleepless nights, headaches and at one-point shear panic, yet with the help of my project team and great people like Roger, I was able to succeed. Those success, and failures, taught me invaluable lessons that grew my confidence. I now know I can tackle anything and make it work. I need help and I’m comfortable enough to ask for it.

When we accomplish the things, we thought too difficult our confidence grows. As we gain confidence we are willing to take bolder action and when we succeed again, our confidence grows more. For me overcoming obstacles has always given my confidence the biggest boost. Easy wins don’t help me grow nearly as much as the bumpy ugly situations.

As you are facing something that makes you worried you won’t succeed, pause, and remember all the obstacles you’ve already overcome. Celebrating your successes will help you have the confidence to move forward into the challenges facing you now and in the future.