The Confidence Factor
Cosmic
Gooses Lay Golden Eggs
Chapter 1 - What's Your Confidence Quotient?
The year 2000 is etched in just about everyone's mind. Whether it was getting ready for it with the threats of Y2K assault, watching the media hype the first Presidential election or even licking your wounds from the decline in your technology stock portfolio, the year 2000 will stand out. Confidence. . .your ability to confront, deal with and grow through events that you sometimes don't create or control, comes into play.
In 1990, I shepherded my first national survey on confidence. Thousands of men and women generously gave their time and allowed me to probe a variety of areas that related to confidence. Back then, when I asked, "Where does confidence come from?" men were more inclined to say "upbringing" (46%), where women were more inclined to say "experience" (43%).
The New Survey Says. . .
Today, with 1337 women and men responding to a new survey by our cut off date, "experience" jumps to the forefront with 52% of women respondents and 54% of men stating so. Upbringing now trails at #2 with 26% of women reporting so; more men than women stated that upbringing was key at 35%, a reversal of the two since the beginning of the nineties. Maturity ranked #3 with 16% for women and 9% for men and crisis at #4 with 5% of the women and 2% of the men reporting such. Genes. . .a tiny hiccup at 1% for women and 0% for men.
So, what does this mean? A turnabout, to say the least. Ten years have passed, the workplace is a different workplace; the stock market ended the decade with a roar; the Internet promises a whole new way of doing business; a new way of working emerged where the Baby Boomers had previously coined the phrase workaholic, Generation Y, the Millenniums or the Nexters (whichever term you choose) said, "Not me. I want a life."
Other Factors
In the original survey, other factors were noted. Primarily, relationships (being in one was more important to men than women); listening (having another who listens was more important to women than to men); and appearance (looking good was more important to women than to men).
The most recent survey shows no change with the relationship and listening factors. Men reported that their confidence levels were high when they were in a relationship with another. In fact, many reported that they were able to earn more money when in a relationship. Women have consistently reported that having someone to listen to their issues, concerns and dreams was an important factor in enhancing their self-esteem.
In the past appearance was more important to women than men. Today, the appearance factor ranked high with both. Women were more inclined to feel appearance stress in work interviews than men did. According to Procter & Gamble Research, July 2000, consumers believe clothing that is wrinkled says that the wearer is sloppy, unprofessional and reflects an attitude of not caring.
Appearance becomes a communicator-if you look good, you'll feed good. Golf superstar Tiger Woods would agree. He said in an interview in Golf Digest, September 2000, "Success thrusts you onto the world stage, and you have to be mindful of your appearance-and just as important, your image. I enjoy dressing nicely and doing my own laundry, including ironing my clothes. I still haven't quite mastered the perfect crease, though." So, I suspect Tiger doesn't go in for the wrinkled look!
Today, we are older, hopefully wiser. Since my first book on confidence was published in 1990, I have spoken to cumulative audiences of 200,000 plus women and men. Times have changed. It's a different workplace. It's a different workforce. And it's a different attitude than the previous decades.
Although men and women say that confidence comes primarily from experience, which includes the good, the bad and the ugly, their responses indicate that their confidence levels are not higher than they were ten years ago. Men are more inclined to say that there is no major difference in confidence levels of men and women (55%); women say there is (67%).
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