Five Tips to Boost Employee Self-Esteem and the Bottom Line

    You just got your first job. Things are going well, but you’re worried. You fret. You are what author Matias Dalsgaard would call an insecure overachiever.

    Matias DalsgaardBut did you know, though, that hiring this type of personality is the smartest thing you can do for your team, and your business? But how can you encourage growth and confidence? How can you empower an insecure overachiever?

    Who is an insecure overachiever, anyway? Dalsgaard says it is a personality type that describes many young people in the early stages of their career. That said, any one of any age or status could be called an insecure overachiever. Some might shy away from the term “insecure,” but it is actually is a personality trait that can help your business, Dalsgaard believes.

    Matias Dalsgaard has a PhD in Philosophy and is the CEO of the tech startup GoMore. He is the author of Don’t Despair, a novel that follows Rasmus, an insecure overachiever who undergoes an existential crisis after his wife and child leave him.

    DontDespairHere are five things to say to Insecure Overachieving employees to empower, create change and increase your bottom line:

    1. Let them work hard: You don’t have to make them like working, but try handing off counterintuitive tasks to them to see what they can do.

    2. See the whole person: The insecure overachiever might often overcompensate through hard work, yet still feel insecure personally. Trusting them can help you gain a valuable workplace asset.

    3. Give non-working time: They might be tempted to avoid taking days off. Don’t let them work themselves to death. You may have to enforce time off to avoid losing this valuable employee.

    4. Encourage other interests: Since the insecure overachiever tends to spend all his time at work, he also tends to become narrow minded – which in turn results in lack of creativity in business and problem solving. Get them out there to see the world

    5. Be a role model: The insecure overachiever is dependent on role models. As he does not have very strong core, he will model himself against his superiors. So be aware that you will necessarily be a role model – and consider how to use the modeling for something good: What kind of person would you like to see others become?