Is there anyone in your life that you’re taking for granted? Do you appreciate all of the little things your administrative assistant does to keep the office running smoothly? Do you thank your spouse for all the help he or she does around the house? It can certainly lower your self-confidence to feel like you’re doing a thankless job day in and day out. You start to think that maybe you’re not worthy of recognition. Showing your appreciation for their hard work could be just the boost they need.

If you’re in a position to regularly give feedback to others, do you give them negative feedback in a way that preserves their confidence? One common strategy for giving negative comments is to use a feedback “sandwich.” The idea is that you should start with a positive comment, follow up with something negative, and then finish up with a positive thought. By doing this, the good thoughts balance out the areas where the subject needs improvement.

Beyond any particular techniques, so much depends on your overall attitude and tone of voice. You can tell an employee that he needs to improve his sales technique in vastly different ways. If you tell him this and then follow up with some helpful suggestions and a general, “I know you can do it!” attitude, you’ll get positive results without destroying his self-confidence. Alternately, his self-confidence won’t be so high if your evaluation turns into a harangue.

If you’re feeling ambitious in your quest to help others achieve higher self-confidence, you can give gifts related to this theme. Send someone to a motivational seminar on her birthday or hand out the latest self-help bestseller for Christmas. In fact, if you think you have some new confidence-building techniques that the whole world should know, think about creating your own motivational book or workshop to make even more of an impact on others.

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