Why companies should invest in the self-esteem of their employees

Lack of self-esteem - a topic that is often hushed up in the corporate context. Managers generally never openly admit to self-doubt. In coaching contexts, it often becomes clear how many managers suffer from the so-called impostor syndrome. On the outside, they appear strong and confident. On the inside, things look very different: They often have the feeling that their performance is not enough and that what they achieve is nothing special after all. They appear mentally strong, but in fact it is only their ambition that is interpreted as mental strength and self-esteem. In the long run, this leads to exhaustion. Healthy self-esteem is the basis for long-term motivation, health and success.

For managers in particular, the topic of "lack of self-esteem" is a taboo subject - not only for themselves, but also for their employees. On the one hand, they don't want to accuse any employee of lacking self-esteem, and on the other, there is often an unconscious fear of overconfident employees. All of this can lead to the internal focus being too much on weaknesses and shortcomings and less on one's own strengths. A change of focus is the first step.

This introduction alone shows how complex the topic of "self-worth in business" is. Let's now change our perspective from the manager to the employee.

A lack of self-esteem among employees can lead to numerous challenges

Many problems and challenges in companies have their root cause in the issue of self-worth. Examples of this are

* Fear of making mistakes: employees with low self-esteem are afraid of making mistakes as they interpret them as confirmation of their inadequacy. This leads them to delay tasks, avoid risky decisions and fail to reach their full potential.
* Concealing mistakes: For fear of negative consequences, mistakes are concealed and covered up. This can not only lead to disgruntled customers or high follow-up costs, but also deprives others of the opportunity to learn from these mistakes.
* Avoidance attitude: Challenges are perceived as a threat and are therefore avoided. Creative ideas and solutions remain hidden because the risk of failure seems too great.
* Doubts about their own abilities: Employees with low self-esteem do not believe they can complete tasks successfully. This leads to demotivation, resignation and a vicious circle of failure.
* Negative thought spiral: Negative thoughts such as "I can't do it" or "I'm not good enough" shape thoughts and actions, making positive results even more difficult.
* Avoidance of conflict: To avoid criticism and negative feedback, people prefer to avoid conflict, even if this leads to unproductive situations and suboptimal decisions.
* Customer meetings: The fear of negative evaluation by customers can lead to employees acting insecure in customer meetings, not handling customer concerns optimally and missing out on sales opportunities.

Possible consequences of a lack of self-esteem among employees for the company

* Lower productivity: Demotivation, avoidance and a lack of self-confidence lead to noticeably lower employee productivity.
* Increased error rate: Fear of making mistakes and a lack of concentration due to self-doubt lead to an accumulation of errors.
* Increased sick days: Stress, mental strain and dissatisfaction due to low self-esteem have a negative impact on health and lead to an increase in sick days.
* Poor customer ratings: Dissatisfied customers due to suboptimal customer service by insecure employees can lead to negative reviews and loss of image.
* Fluctuation: Employees with low self-esteem do not feel valued and look for new challenges in companies that better promote their potential.

Strengthening self-esteem in employees is a particularly worthwhile investment

A company benefits in many ways from employees who have a healthy sense of self-worth. Key measures include promoting an appreciative working environment, providing development opportunities and creating a safe environment for feedback and learning. Furthermore, lectures and workshops on this topic should be offered in a safe environment. One well-known expert on this topic is keynote speaker Daniela Landgraf. With her in-depth knowledge and her inspiring and motivating manner, she supports companies in establishing precisely these factors in their organization and thus increasing success at all levels. In her keynote speech "Self-worth is worth money", she impressively demonstrates how investing in the self-worth of employees leads to increased productivity and a better working atmosphere in the long term. In her keynote and in her workshops, she reveals easy-to-implement exercises that go far beyond well-known topics such as "writing a success diary". On the contrary. She takes a critical look at traditional methods, because she knows from her own experience that topics such as "writing a success diary" and "positive affirmations" only scratch the surface and do not work in the long term if you have deep-seated self-doubt. This is precisely why other, more in-depth methods and exercises are essential - not only for self-esteem, but also for mental strength and health. After all, real mental strength can only develop on the basis of healthy self-esteem. Daniela Landgraf says, among other things, "Mental strength and self-esteem go hand in hand. One cannot exist without the other, at least not if it is to be genuine and true. Real inner strength comes from within and requires more than just the power of thought."

Six tips for boosting employees' self-esteem

Even though the topic of self-esteem is complex, companies can implement various measures quickly and easily. These include, for example:

1. regular feedback: constructive feedback helps employees to recognize their strengths and work on their weaknesses. Positive feedback promotes self-confidence and motivates employees to improve their performance.

2. further training opportunities: Companies should invest in further training for their employees. Training courses and workshops on the topics of self-esteem and mental strength increase employees' self-confidence and competence.

3. appreciation: recognition of employees' achievements, including publicly in front of colleagues. An appreciative working environment promotes motivation and a sense of belonging.

4. delegating responsibility: Giving employees the appropriate amount of responsibility and freedom to make decisions promotes a feeling of self-efficacy and strengthens self-esteem. But beware of excessive demands. The right balance is crucial here.

5. introduce mentoring programs: Establish mentoring programs in which experienced employees support less experienced colleagues. This creates a supportive corporate culture and boosts the self-esteem of everyone involved.

6. focus and choice of words: Managers should pay more attention to word choice and focus in their employees and themselves. Is the language used by managers and employees self-appreciative? What is the focus on? Are weaknesses and mistakes emphasized or strengths and successes? The right focus and the right choice of words can work wonders, because language has power and words have an effect. Always! That's why there should be a strong focus on the choice of words. Sensitization to this topic is immensely important.

You can find a podcast interview with keynote speaker Daniela Landgraf on the topic of self-worth HERE.

Conclusion

Self-esteem is a topic that is considered unsexy in the corporate environment and among managers, and yet it is indispensable. Long-term motivation and the mental strength of employees depend largely on self-esteem. A change of focus within companies is more than desirable.

By actively investing in the self-esteem of their employees and increasing the focus on this, managers create the basis for a healthy, productive and successful company with mentally strong and self-confident employees.

Autorin Daniela Landgraf
Pülsener Str. 9
24257 Köhn
Germany

https://danielalandgraf.com

Workshops I Lectures I Keynotes I Books
Main topics: Mental strength, mental health, resilience, stress management, motivation, self-motivation, inner strength, inner power, self-confidence, self-assurance, self-worth. Inspiration & motivation.

This release was published on openPR.