Communicating with Confidence

Confidence is often misunderstood as a feeling, but in reality, it’s a set of behaviors that anyone can cultivate and improve over time. In the workplace, especially for women, confident communication plays a critical role in career advancement, leadership, collaboration and having a positive reputation.

Communication

Effective communication is an essential life skill. Some of you may have heard the phrase: Communication is the cause and solution for every problem. It’s true, especially in professional settings where clear, direct communication can make or break relationships, collaborations and career growth.

Confident communication is the ability to clearly and effectively express thoughts, ideas and opinions. It allows individuals to advocate for themselves, take initiative and engage effectively with colleagues, managers and clients. Confident communicators foster respect, trust and a sense of authority — key elements of professional credibility.

4 Key Elements of Confident Communication

• Clear Speech: Requires precision, modulation, enunciation and a controlled pace to convey messages effectively.
• Assertive Body Language: Includes good posture, eye contact, appropriate facial expressions and purposeful hand gestures to project confidence.
• Self-Awareness & Emotional Regulation: Helps you recognize your strengths, manage emotions and adapt your communication style as needed.
• Active Listening: Ensures effective engagement and understanding through undivided attention, nonverbal cues, questioning, and summarization.

8 Strategies for Confident Communication

Building confidence in communication can be achieved by making small yet impactful adjustments. Here are some positive behaviors to adopt for more assertive and authoritative communication:

• Use purposeful language instead of apologizing. Rather than apologizing unnecessarily, use phrases that convey confidence. For example, replace “I’m sorry to bother you” with “I appreciate your time.”
• Use clear statements instead of qualifiers. Drop hesitancies like “I think” or “I feel. Instead of “I believe we should…” say, “We should…” for more decisive communication.
• Be direct instead of using hedging language. Remove words like “just” or “maybe” for stronger, clearer communication. Instead of “I just wanted to check in,” say “I’m checking.”
• Keep emails concise instead of long-winded. Focus getting to the point in emails. A confident communicator uses concise, direct language to get the message across without unnecessary details or over-politeness.
• State your opinions directly instead of softening them. Avoid framing opinions as questions. Replace “Would it be okay if…?” with “We should move forward with…”
• Set firm deadlines instead of requesting them. Instead of asking, “Would it be possible to have this by Friday?” confidently state, “Please send this by Friday.”
• Own your achievements instead of downplaying them. Acknowledge personal contributions while still appreciating the team’s efforts. Use “I” when describing your “solo” accomplishments to ensure your contributions are recognized.
• Keep it professional instead of overusing emojis and exclamation marks. Maintain professionalism by using a balanced tone and reserving emojis and exclamation marks for appropriate, informal interactions.

Why Confidence in the Workplace is Still a Focus for Women

While strides have been made toward gender equality, workplace confidence remains an area where women often face unique challenges. Here’s why addressing this is still important:

• Navigating Gender Bias & Stereotypes: Women face societal expectations that discourage assertiveness. Assertive women are sometimes labeled “bossy” or “aggressive” while men displaying the same behavior are praised for leadership.
• Bridging the Confidence Gap Studies show that women are less likely to self-promote, negotiate salaries or apply for promotions unless they meet all qualifications. Overcoming this gap can open doors to greater career advancement.
• Overcoming Imposter Syndrome Many women experience “imposter syndrome,” where they doubt their abilities and fear being exposed as a fraud, even when they are highly qualified. This self-doubt can hinder confident communication.
• Intersectionality of Race, Gender & Confidence Women of color, LGBTQ+ women and women with disabilities face unique challenges that can further erode confidence. They often contend with multiple layers of bias and discrimination, which can impact their ability to confidently navigate workplace dynamics and assert their value.

The Positive Impacts of Confident Communication

When women communicate confidently, they are more likely to be noticed for leadership roles, influence decisions and negotiate more effectively. This results in improved career progression, influence, job satisfaction and professional image. Confident communicators reduce workplace conflicts and empower others by modeling strong communication skills.

Developing confident communication is an ongoing process, but it is an invaluable skill that can transform not only how others perceive you but how you perceive yourself.