Yesterday, I posted an article that contained the following conclusion about Processes, which, for us, is a synonym of Systems:
Processes/Systems have 4 major categories:
- things that happen in our brain [as de Bono describes in the quote above],
- interactions between People,
- Man-made Processes/Systems [as examples: manufacturing processes and accounting systems], and
- Processes/Systems of Nature and the Cosmos.
Consider how these 4 categories of Processes impact on a person's Confidence.
When it comes to Business, and considering the day-to-day work environment, there is a compelling argument supporting the fact the above list of 4 categories is 'force-ranked':
What's going on in your brain is of #1 importance.
What's going on between you and other people is #2, less important.
What Mankind has created around you is #3, even less important.
Things beyond Mankind's control are of least importance, #4.
I appreciate the ranking would need to be revisited if a volcano erupts near our community tomorrow.
But, this post is about day-to-day business. And, for day-to-day business the above ranking is valid.
Regarding a person's self-confidence, of most importance are the things happening in a person's brain. This applies whether or not you believe you can control your own thoughts and whether or not you believe other people possess that same ability. Certain thought processes align with and enhance self-confidence. Certain thought processes do the opposite. If a person is predisposed to being pessimistic, and either believes that or is influenced by it unconsciously, then that person will tend to possess lower self-confidence than a person who is predisposed to being optimistic and either believes that or is influenced by it unconsciously.
So, if we want to help a person develop more self-confidence we must start by considering the person’s brain and mind…the mind which makes use of the brain...one way or another.
If we want to help people develop more self-confidence we must help them learn how human brains and minds function.
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Jumping beyond #1 to #2 or #3 or #4 brings a very-diminishing return.
Here are 2 examples to explain:
- Some people get really down and destine themselves to have an unproductive day when the weather is less than ideal...too cold, too much snow, to rainy...too hot, etc. Business leaders and managers will waste quite a bit of energy if they decide to spend their time working on controlling the weather so their people can be happier, despite the fact that mood/emotion/feeling aligns well with self-confidence.
- There is little benefit in providing or teaching conflict-resolution tactics to a pair of die-hard pessimists who believe wholeheartedly pessimism is in their genes. Sure, these pessimists will be inclined to complain about the actions of one another. And, those complaints will be 100% valid. However, little positive gains will happen in self-confidence as a result of working on interpersonal interactions.