Own your work. Stand behind your performance. Be the boss of whatever you do professionally. It sounds simple, right? But how do you do that when you’re just starting out and don’t know what that feels like? Or you have a boss who nitpicks everything you do. Or you’re in a cutthroat workplace where others try to tear you down. Not so simple after all.
At our agency, Base Beauty Creative Agency, COO Aleni Mackarey, Ph.D., MS, and I are constantly helping our team members at all stages of their careers to build the confidence that comes from feeling good about their work and how it supports our clients. We both remember times when we didn’t have that confidence, so we have designed our company culture to develop this crucial skill for work…and life.
We talk a lot about being the boss of your own work—it’s posted on our “Values Wall” in our office. The more I speak with our team about this, the more I realize it’s at the heart of the business culture we are creating. Here are three stories that illustrate how we help team members develop self-confidence and self-reliance:
- One team member came to us suffering from serious imposter syndrome, something many of us have felt. In her case, this was exacerbated by a previous toxic work environment that constantly reminded her that her work was not measuring up without offering to help her improve, grow, or even understand what was being asked of her. Arriving at Base Beauty, her instinct was to expect biting, belittling criticism at every turn, leaving her on edge. But she quickly realized that feedback here is delivered with kindness and respect, open and honest discussions of expectations, and reiterating our continued belief in her capabilities. She now advances this style of communication with her growing team.
- Base Beauty operates with a hybrid model, with many of us working remotely most of the time. One staffer, based across the country, is fully remote and in a West Coast time zone when most of us are in Eastern time, which presents an additional challenge in managing, delegating, and communicating with her team. She has said that working from a distance has upped her game in self-managing and taught her to trust her direct reports to do the same. At first, she worried about over-delegating, but she learned from us that “You don’t get to decide how full someone else’s plate is” or what they can handle. Everyone is encouraged to speak up when they need to.
- Another staffer, who joined us years ago as an intern, was impressed with our philosophy that no one is too young or too inexperienced to have a great idea and a seat at the table. She arrived with a fear of public speaking, which she has overcome step-by-step as we included her in C-suite meetings, encouraged her to express her thoughts to leadership and clients, and gave her several public speaking opportunities to flex this muscle and shake away the fear. Just recently she led a webinar with 2K registrants. At Base Beauty, she can be the boss of her own work while gently pushing herself outside of her comfort zone, building confidence all along the way.
Our goal is to support everyone, from the intern to the VP, to continue to develop confidence in their abilities and their work. We do it through respect, communication, inclusion, and creating a safe space for taking risks among trusted colleagues who want everyone to succeed. Base Beauty is a place where if you are willing to work hard, you can keep going, growing, and owning it.