What do you do if your boss doubts your abilities?

Seek an understanding of the duties. Then go full speed ahead, do my job to the best of my abilities, and continue to be the best version of myself.

When I've managers who doubted my abilities, it's seemed to be because they weren't yet familiar with my work ethic and skills. So, I documented my successes and efforts in a monthly or weekly email, depending on how often the supervisor liked to communicate. Without a grading system from a boss, I created my own monthly performance indicators and sent reports. As a manager, employees erased my doubts when they respond quickly to requests and follow-up on everything.

Your job is to make your boss look like a rock star. They will take care of you because their success is coming from your ability. Competence must be demonstrated. Never exaggerate on estimates, budgets or timelines. Always overdeliver. If you messed up fess up. Most won't and that will earn trust. Always be humble enough to do the menial but necessary tasks to accomplish the mission.

Addressing doubts from your boss involves seeking feedback, taking responsibility, maintaining open communication, setting clear goals, seeking additional training or mentorship, building a track record of success, seeking support from colleagues, and maintaining a positive attitude. By proactively sharing information, collaborating on projects, and demonstrating commitment to growth, you can rebuild trust and alleviate doubts about your abilities. By demonstrating resilience and a positive mindset, you can create a constructive work environment.

I`d start with the following: Experience Overview: Start with a brief summary of your experience in brand strategy, focusing on roles and projects that are most relevant to your current position. Skill Application: Explain how your understanding of brand positioning, market trends, and consumer behavior has been applied in past projects. Use specific examples to illustrate your points. Past Successes: Highlight the successes you’ve achieved, such as increased brand awareness, improved customer engagement, or successful product launches. Future Initiatives: Discuss how you can apply your skills to upcoming projects. Value Proposition: Clearly articulate the unique value you bring to the team and the company.

I love to request regular feedback is indeed a proactive step towards continuous improvement. Initiate the Conversation: Express your desire for regular feedback sessions. Set Expectations: Clarify that you’re looking for constructive criticism that can help you grow professionally. Discuss Progress and Plan for Improvement: Share the improvements you’ve made since the last session. Schedule Sessions: Propose a regular schedule for feedback sessions, whether it’s weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly, depending on what works best for both you and your boss. Follow Through: After each session, make sure to act on the feedback received and demonstrate your progress in subsequent meetings.

I would ask for specific areas where I can improve and develop a plan to address any weaknesses. Open communication and a willingness to learn and grow can help rebuild trust and confidence in abilities.

Showcasing achievements is the best tool you have to control the conversation and perception of progress and success. Setting high standards and being prepared to not only show results but also draw out the next steps in the journey provides the rest of the team with the certainty needed. All progress takes some time. Share your wins, no matter how small. Turn the page quickly on failures and always stay one step ahead.

Seek out continuous learning opportunities locally and nationally. This can be in-person or virtual workshops, seminars, trainings, or classes from industry experts or organizations. It's also helpful to connect with your peers from like-minded organizations to compare relevant experiences and gain support. Whether you obtain certifications, record presence at workshops, or subscribe to industry publications, it's important to regularly follow up with your boss about these achievements to showcase your commitment to continuous learning and personal growth.

I did it in the past. It was probably a misunderstanding, but I showed my previous records and later offered to do it again, with his/her supervision more in detail to probe my skills.

In my experience, some CEOs or senior leaders don’t fully understand how Marketing works, why Brand Strategy matters, and even how to evaluate marketing’s efforts beyond “pretty pictures” as one of my prior managers said to describe our work. In these cases, it’s important to overtly link execution to strategy then to KPIs and impact. If you keep discussing strategy, you run the risk of exacerbating the situation. Further, get crystal clear on your manager’s expectations of how success will be measured. You may think brand metrics and she/he may think sales or profit. Ideally this alignment is done prior to any misunderstanding.

In my experience, some CEOs or senior leaders don’t fully understand how Marketing works, why Brand Strategy matters, and even how to evaluate marketing’s efforts beyond “pretty pictures” as one of my prior managers said to describe our work. In these cases, it’s important to overtly link execution to strategy then to KPIs and impact. If you keep discussing strategy, you run the risk of exacerbating the situation. Further, get crystal clear on your manager’s expectations of how success will be measured. You may think brand metrics and she/he may think sales or profit. Ideally this alignment is done prior to any misunderstanding.

In my opinion, action speaks louder than words. For example, be available to take on additional responsibilities that will lead towards positive results that can be seen/known. I would venture to say that one can build from there because results matter.