• Very simply, self-efficacy is a person’s belief that they can succeed at a given task.
• It is the belief that you have in your own abilities and competencies.
• This belief is necessary for us in order to achieve our goals.

Consider this famous quote from Henry Ford:
Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right

• Consider a specific goal you wish to achieve in your workplace or career.
• Self-efficacy asks the question ‘Can I do this?’
• In a workplace example the answer would be ‘Yes I am confident I can complete this task’.
• Self-efficacy differs from self esteem (a person’s sense of self worth) and growth (believing your abilities can change over time with practice and training)

• Encourage staff to move out of their comfort zones and try new activities and projects
• Establish SMART goals to help develop and maintain high levels of self-efficacy
• Look beyond short term goals and help staff to see the ‘bigger picture’ – trial and error in terms of achieving short term goals is perfectly normal – once we learn from it!
• Rethink our obstacles! Support staff to think about potential challenges or barriers in advance and encourage them to reflect on previous challenges that they have overcome.

• Self-determination is the ability to successfully take charge of your own life
• It requires a particular set of skills, including self-advocacy
• We can receive support from others but we remain in control of our own resources and how they are expended

Self-determination is associated with better life outcomes when we are adults.

Self-advocacy is an important element of self-determination for your team. It refers to:

• Making their own decisions about their life
• Speaking up for themselves
• Establishing their rights and responsibilities
• Identifying sources of support when needed and reaching out
• Problem-solving

Self-determination includes a number of elements for your team:

• Setting goals
• Understanding what they need to achieve those goals
• Making decisions and choices based on their preferences
• Using their self-advocacy skills
• Understanding and accepting the consequences of the decisions they make

Self-determination Theory (SDT) focuses on human motivation.

SDT implies that we are all motivated but we need the correct conditions in place to be able to implement this.

Types of Motivation:

• Intrinsic:
  This type of motivation is found when a team member is working on something they really enjoy – therefore it is not a hardship.
• Extrinsic:
  This type of motivation is found when a team member is completing a task either due to a potential reward or fear of negative consequences if they don’t complete it. The task will be completed but the motivation is different.

There are three main drivers of motivation:

Competence

• Ensure that staff are in the correct roles aligned with their skills
• Ask and observe whether they feel that they are being effective in those roles.
• Provide appropriate training - this is essential for staff to feel they are in control of their tasks and outcomes.
• Engage in regular meetings with staff and provide constructive and clear feedback

Autonomy

• Autonomy does not mean being independent of management but instead refers to staff having a degree of free will to complete their tasks.
• Avoid micro managing and work to build trust with your team.
• Allow employees to schedule their own work (within reason)
• Encourage input from employees around policy decisions in the organisation
• Offer flexible/remote working where possible

Relatedness

• Provide opportunities for employees to get to know each other outside of work – this could simply be encouraging your team to have coffee or lunch together.
• Build a sense of teamwork in the organisation by encouraging employees to work on projects together.
• Ensure the office environment facilitates social interaction – provide a comfortable space for breaks.
• Develop and promote a culture of communication and transparency. Check in with your team on a regular basis, ask for feedback and be clear and open about decisions.
• Ask yourself if everyone feels comfortable sharing opinions and giving feedback
• Make connection simple! Use a HR channel e.g. Zoho Cliq or Slack to ensure team members can connect.