I'm worried I look incompetent at work, what can I do?
listenerpaps
on
Nov 15, 2020
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Firstly, I hear you. There are so many instances in which I myself have felt incompetent at work. It's difficult to motivate myself in those times and it's challenging to overcome.
Here's a few tricks I've learnt along the way that have helped me value myself a little more:
1. Every time I feel incompetent I sit down and answer the following questions"
-What is the task that I do not feel prepared to handle?
-Have I done this in the past? Was I successful - why? Could it have gone better - how?
-What skills do I possess that can help me complete this?
-Who can I turn to if I need support with this?
These help me get a realistic idea of what is making me feel incompetent.
2. I have written a few reminders on sticky notes"
"Take a deep breath ... you've got this!"
"It's not a road block, just a challenge"
"You're ready to take this on"
I've put these up on my desk to remind me I've got what it takes to do this
3. I check-in with myself regularly to see where I'm being most effective and where I need to improve. Try answering these questions:
-what's working?
-what's not working?
-what's missing?
-what's next?
These can help you set goals and move forward through constant self-review!
Hope this helps:)
8Lotuss
on
Nov 21, 2020
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I'm worried I look incompetent at work, what can I do?
Well; what is meant by incompetent. You are not appropriate. Did you forget, they won’t hire; if they have seen some potential requirement or being qualified in you. I’m sure many applied and you have been chosen. You are competent.
Your responsibility, your performance: From friends and relationships, to diet and sleep, to self care and hygiene. All of these external factors will affect your performance in work.
Your attendance, your performance at the work it self.
Do you reach on time. Your half way. Do you get tasks handed in and completed.
Well, you may be a critic and say “ I make mistakesâ€
Well people who work that are more likely to make some mistakes. That is a prove you are working or even making progress.
Some reasons for being paranoid at work:
Past experiences at jobs that didn’t go great.
Unfortunate circumstance that might paint a negative picture in your mind.
Making a mistake or some mistakes at work.
Postponing your leave or vacation; might lead you bad thinking.
A way to deal with that
Making a list of external responsibilities, if those are fulfilled mostly. They won’t affect your work place any more.
Making another list for you all completed tasks and were accepted. And looking at it from time to time.
You get a sense of achievement.
DarkPiT23
on
Nov 27, 2020
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Notice the Thoughts You're Having. The first step in changing any behavior is to realize that it's happening. ...
Ask Yourself: Is This a Fact? ...
Ask Yourself: What if the Opposite Were True? ...
Be Proactive.
Check off as Much as You Can on Friday. ...
Prepare for the Next Week. ...
Give Yourself a Worry Period. ...
Plan out Your Weekend. ...
Take Time to Reflect & Relax. ...
Practice Self-Care. ...
Talk it Out.
An incompetent employee is basically an employee who doesn't have the necessary job skills to do a job well. That may include a dysfunctional or toxic personality or bad social skills which manifests itself with bad relationships with the boss or manager and with coworkers thus endangering good morale
Anonymous
on
Jan 1, 2021
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I used to feel the same way (being worried that I seem incompetent to others). I started to get over this once I realized that everyone is absorbed in their own lives. Others don't usually care as much as you may think they do. In this situation - and I know it is easier said than done - I would try my best to improve and work on growing without worrying too much about how others see it. As long as you are doing your best and improving over time, hopefully, your worries will subside and all will be alright. I feel that my own self-image has improved by doing this over the years.
BritBry
on
Jan 15, 2021
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This has been something I constantly worried about when I worked in New York. The job I had was not the degree I had taken in school. I had learned how to do most of it on the job while others had more official qualifications. I worried perpetually that during a meeting I would do or say the wrong thing and would be found out. I started to realize that the reason I was in the position was that many people believed in me. They all knew my history and I didn't have to pretend I was something other. If I didn't know something, I could just admit it and commit to learning it. If I said something wrong, I learned to say to myself "so what?". Is it the crime of the century? Nope. This helped me put things in perspective.
LilSmokyCheddars
on
Jan 21, 2021
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In my experience, people often turn out to be less critical than I imagine that they will be. If I arrive clean and on time and I give the project my attention, I find that people respond positively. Competence is something that will be shown through results, or "the proof is in the pudding." It has helped me to calm my concerns by trying to remember that other people at work or school have their own worries and insecurities, and that it is more likely that they are focused on their own problems than that they are concerning themselves with scrutinizing me.
Anonymous
on
Mar 18, 2021
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WHY it is that you feel incompetent and why do you constantly run from one thing to the other. try to explore your strengths and try to reduce your weaknesses , do not compare yourself with others.. every person is different and different ability.. You might be a better performer in your forte.
Sometimes it’s helpful to zero in on how we “feel.†The true nature of the mind is that it is constantly changing. One moment I’m reading yahoo news and getting depressed/cynical and the next moment I’m watching comedy central and laughing. This means because because I feel something in the moment does not make it a fact. The suffering comes in when we believe our feelings are one-dimensional concrete truths, but the vast majority of emotional suffering stems from our relationship to our inner experience;
Carlos1234
on
Apr 8, 2021
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The best way to look competent at work is to show up dressed and well groomed. A well dressed and groomed individual looks professional and looks like they know what they are doing. Walking with confidence and speaking clear and concise can also show others that you know what you are talking about. Be sure to read up on your duties at work and ensure that you know your job inside and out. This will help with any uncertainties you may have. If you are unsure of something, be sure to speak up and ask, most people can tell if you are just pretending.
Izzy274
on
Apr 8, 2021
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It can be really hard to feel incompetent to work, and it's easy to feel like an impostor, where everyone else knows what they're doing except you. This probably isn't the case, but it's still very stressful if you do feel incompetent compared with other people. Here are a few things you could possibly try, although different things work for different people, so these may not be the best methods for you personally:
- Think about the reasons why you feel incompetent, and see if you can solve (or get support to solve) any problems that arrive.
- It's easy to get caught up in your own fears, so perhaps asking a peer or boss what you can do to improve would help. Work on doing your best, but not being perfect.
- Focus on your self confidence, and being able to communicate your ideas to others in a clear way. Also working on the skills needed for your job if you do get any areas to improve on.
- Learn from your peers, or take courses to improve if you feel that is necessary, but also take time for yourself and your mental health.
- Try to positively affirm your competence over time, for example: 'I am competent', 'I deserve this career'.
- Smile! This makes you appear more self confident, as well as allowing you to gradually feel a little better.
ShyTurtle27
on
Apr 27, 2021
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It sounds like you're not feeling confident about yourself. Or that you might be self conscious about how others perceive you. I think that the first step to feeling confident is to recognise your own strengths and weaknesses. Celebrate your strengths. Improve on your weaknesses. Personally, I realised I am a very unorganised person, my coworkers have directly told me so. Instead of feeling critised, I worked on being a more organised person. I also ask lots of questions on how I can improve on my skills. We should never stop trying to improve ourselves, and admiting that we aren't perfect is humbling, and shows your desire to learn.
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