Teamwork: Know when you are Trusting vs. Doubting

Posted on 19. Sep, 2011 by Phyllis in Life Coach

Life Coach, Phyllis Reid-Jarvis

“Living in trust gives us a sense of confidence and security that brings freedom to our lives. It‘s that anchor that holds us fast amidst the many challenges that can pull us off our course. Doubt however has the opposite effect: it can stop us in our tracks, bringing fear, insecurities and clouded thinking in its wake” -International Coach Academy

Experiencing doubt is part of being human. Doubt can sometimes work in our favour to move us forward into taking action and consequently experiencing change. When we are taken down a negative path by doubt we are clearly not being well-served; we will need to step back and practice self-reflection. This simple process will open up new insights for us to see why our doubt has lead us down this undesired path.

What is the source of doubt? Doubt often comes from our deep-seated underlying beliefs that shape how we behave, think, act and feel about certain people, places and events. Our underlying beliefs could be likened to an iceberg- what you see is not an indication of the large mass that lies below this hidden mass is equivalent to our underlying beliefs. We are often not aware of these hidden beliefs, but they shape how we enter into relationships and certain situations, and consequently whether we operate from a place of trust or one of doubt.

Trust is the foundation on which self-confidence is built and sustained, doubt breaks confidence and builds uncertainty, criticism and judgement. Stop doubt from entering your mind by practicing self-reflection. Ask yourself the following questions and answer from a place of truth:

What am I afraid of in this person, situation or event?
How certain am I of what I need to function at my best at this moment?
How much do I trust myself to do my best for the success of this project? Or, working successfully with a colleague?
What beliefs do I hold about this person, situation or event that is holding me or our project back?
What is a different more positive view of this person, situation or event can I take?

By practising these self-reflection exercises you will find yourself staying in a place of trust in all situation or when dealing with people. You will find you are more curious to learn, understand or support your team members more readily. Overall, you will find you stay feeling more self-confident, more certain and more clear about your team’s purpose and your role as part of the team. You now would have moved away from committing to doubt to committing to trust!

A Life Coach is a great resource to use to help you create a life plan. A Coach will work with you to provide tangible results and support you in transferring these results in all other aspects of your life. A coach will support you to be accountable to your self-development goals, as well as stop to celebrate your achievements along the way.

Keep Well…Phyllis