How to rebuild your confidence after a setback

Whether you’re a CPO, a Category Manager or a Procurement consultant, maintaining a level of confidence in your abilities is a vital component for delivering your work with impact.

It’s a popular topic in coaching and this week’s newsletter is focused on how to regain your confidence after a setback.

We’ve all been there.

One moment we’re feeling confident in the value that we bring.

The next moment, something goes sideways.

A presentation didn’t land. The stakeholder feedback that had a little too much sting. Some hostile resistance from a piece of work that we’ve put our heart and soul into.

Procurement professionals in particular carry a lot of expectation.

They’ve been brought in to drive change, build something from the ground up and take the function to somewhere it hasn’t yet been in the organisation, often having to navigate complexity and change.

And so when that expectation meets a setback, it can shake confidence levels more than we’d like to admit.

In reality, confidence isn’t static. We don’t achieve it and keep it at the same level.

It will waver according to circumstance.

The key is to knowing the tools that can restore it quickly. 

Here are five ways to rebuild your confidence after a setback:

Take a meta view

A setback can feel like everything in the moment.

It can be the difference between deciding to stay in a role or the final straw and subsequent decision to look elsewhere.

In these moments it is crucial to take a step back and zoom out.

What’s the bigger picture?

Does this setback define your whole capability as a Procurement professional? 

Does it cancel out all of the great successes you have delivered so far in your career?

Or does it present a moment of learning? Significant growth?

You are not your mistakes.

Your confidence comes from being able to separate these events from your personal identity and being able to view them as chapters of a bigger story.

Name the narrative

The story you tell yourself can often matter more than the facts of what happened when it comes to confidence.

As a coach I’m trained to see patterns; both in your narrative and the language that you use.

The impact of saying “I failed, I’m not good at this” is wildly different to saying “that didn’t go how I planned, what learning can I take from this?”

They’re both phrases that we can tell ourselves, but they present a huge fork in the road.

Which one would you rather take?

We can be our own worst critics and in this context, our inner voice isn’t the most reliable one.

Take the small wins

The key to rebuilding confidence is to look for the glimmers in each situation.

What is going well right now?

The supplier relationships that are working well.

The stakeholders that are on board.

The exec member or line manager that does have your back.

These “glimmers” can resource you in the moments when you need them most.

Seek real talk, not just pep talks

Find someone who can offer thoughtful feedback and a valid perspective.

It’s important to seek feedback that will give you something to build on.

Not just “it’s fine, don’t worry about it”.

A coach, mentor, or even an honest colleague can help you see what actually happened and what’s worth building on.

Truth builds trust.

Being clear is kind.

And these two things together will take your confidence further.

Reconnect to what’s important

You are more than your Procurement role.

Be proud and passionate about representing the profession, absolutely.

But your Procurement know-how is only part of your story.

Your leadership and your career is shaped just as much by who you are outside of the profession as it is by what you have delivered.

It’s formed by who you are to your loved ones.

The things you enjoy doing and the experiences you have collected up to now.

Reconnecting with why and how you lead can help to re-anchor you when your confidence takes a dip.

Ask yourself: who benefits when I lead well? Who misses out if I shrink back?

Respond rather than react

Ultimately it isn’t the setbacks that define your leadership and your effectiveness in Procurement.

It’s the way that you respond to them.

Confidence is just another pillar of your Procurement strategy.

It requires conscious planning, regular review, and the occasional re-negotiation of your own perception.

So the next time a stumble shakes your confidence, just remember: it’s not the end of your story (or your career).

It’s just Procurement doing what Procurement does best: learning, adapting, and evolving.

How Coaching For Procurement Ltd can help

Coaching For Procurement Ltd offers a full suite of coaching solutions designed to empower and support Procurement leaders and their teams; from Procurement team coaching through to ILM qualifications using the unique P.R.O.C.U.R.E® coaching methodology and frameworks, as well as 1:1 coaching. We work together on your inner game at these pivotal moments of your Procurement journey.

If you would like to explore a coaching approach to building Procurement's impact, please reach out to find out more: www.coachingforprocurement.co.uk/contact-me