How can you build remote workers' confidence and self-esteem?

1 Acknowledge their achievements

One of the easiest ways to build confidence and self-esteem is to recognize and celebrate the successes and accomplishments of your remote clients. Remote workers may not receive as much feedback, recognition, or praise as their in-office counterparts, which can affect their motivation and self-worth. As a coach, you can help them track their progress, set realistic goals, and acknowledge their strengths and skills. You can also encourage them to share their achievements with their managers, colleagues, and networks, and to reward themselves for their hard work.

2 Challenge their negative thoughts

Another common challenge for remote workers is dealing with negative thoughts and self-doubt, which can undermine their confidence and self-esteem. Remote workers may experience impostor syndrome, fear of failure, or perfectionism, which can prevent them from taking risks, learning new skills, or pursuing new opportunities. As a coach, you can help them identify and challenge their negative thoughts, and replace them with positive and realistic ones. You can also help them develop a growth mindset, which embraces challenges, feedback, and mistakes as opportunities for learning and improvement.

3 Support their social needs

A third way to build confidence and self-esteem is to support the social and emotional needs of your remote clients. Remote workers may feel lonely, isolated, or disconnected from their teams, organizations, or communities, which can affect their mental health and well-being. As a coach, you can help them create and maintain meaningful relationships with their co-workers, managers, mentors, and peers, and to participate in virtual or in-person social events and activities. You can also help them find and join online or offline communities that share their interests, values, or goals, and that can offer them support, advice, or inspiration.

5 Promote their learning and development

A fifth way to build confidence and self-esteem is to promote the learning and development of your remote clients. Remote workers may face new challenges, demands, or expectations in their roles, which can require them to update or acquire new skills, knowledge, or competencies. As a coach, you can help them assess their current and desired skills, identify and access relevant learning resources and opportunities, and apply and demonstrate their learning outcomes. You can also help them seek and receive constructive feedback, and to reflect on and document their learning journey.

6 Empower their autonomy and agency

A sixth and final way to build confidence and self-esteem is to empower the autonomy and agency of your remote clients. Remote workers may have more control and freedom over their work environment, schedule, and methods, which can enhance their creativity, productivity, and satisfaction. However, they may also face more uncertainty, ambiguity, or complexity, which can require them to make more decisions, solve more problems, or initiate more actions. As a coach, you can help them embrace and leverage their autonomy and agency, and to develop their self-leadership, self-management, and self-motivation skills.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?