Improving Self-Efficacy Example

Reading the Self Efficacy article first will help this page make sense.

In a chat about his hopes for the future John mentioned "I'd love to take on the co-ordinators role for the team, some day, but I'm terrified of getting up in front of a large group and talking" (Physiological State of Anxiety and Nervousness).

I could see this was a perfect chance to help him improve his self-efficacy. So I replied "If you would let me I'd love to work with you on this - I really believe you can do it - do you remember last week when you spoke at the project group meeting - you did so with such conviction - I know you could replicate this with the bigger team" (Positive feedback).

I mentioned that I'd been working with another of his peers who had had similar concerns (Peer Modeling). We agreed that with some focus, and learning of new skills, he too would eventually be able to get up in front of a group with a degree of confidence and hopefully with his nerves well managed!

We spent time working on John starting to be more vocal in the smaller group ... taking the lead in discussions where he may normally have sat back and stayed quiet or volunteer to present information where normally he would have sat back and hoped someone else would do it.

After his first presentation at the smaller group we went over what he could improve (Feedback).

He found that with a little more preparation beforehand he was able to confidently and articulately participate in the small group discussions (Successful Experience).

Some weeks later he volunteered to lead up a new project team, knowing that as leader of this team he had to report back to the larger group. Sure he was a little nervous - but the success he had had in the smaller group held him in good stead. As well as time went by with this project his confidence grew at taking the lead role. Eventually he made his presentation to the larger team.

As we debriefed his presentation to the larger group he said, "You know, that went really well. I never thought I'd be able to talk in front of the group like that, but I did. I'm starting to feel more confident about applying for the co-ordinators role next time it comes up." (Successful Experience)