His challenge, we suggested, was to shift
his orientation from placating his bosses and worrying so much about what they
thought about him to trusting his own voice and taking clear stands based on
their merits. That didn’t mean he had to be confrontational or antagonizing. He
could still treat others with respect while holding his own ground.
From our work with athletes we learned that
visualizing a performance challenge in advance is a very effective way to allay
anxiety and to perform without awkwardness or self-consciousness.
Ask himself a question: “Who am I trying to
please here?”
