Impostor Syndrome
C. Jones
Created on January 30, 2020
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Transcript
IMPOSTER!
Dealing with Impostor Syndrome
SYMPTOMS OF IMPOSTOR SYNDROME
Superwoman/man
The Perfectionist
"I Must Not Fail"MicromanagerControl FreakDifficulty DelegatingSets Excessively High GoalsIf You Want Something Done Right, You Better Do It Yourself!
"I Feel Like A Fake""I Just Got Lucky"OverworksStay Later Work HarderDown Time is a WasteBurn the Candle at Both EndsCan't do Hobbies, Must Work"I Have to Work Harder To Prove My Worth!"
Asking for Help Makes Me Feel Like A Phony"I Don't Need Anyone's Help""I Refuse Assistance So I Can Prove My Worth"
Remind students they belong
Help them to embrace risk & share their fears
Remind yourself it is normal not to know everything.
Talk about it Open a dialogue with others
Fail Forward
Given them freedom, don't be a helicopter professor.
Sources
TREATMENT OF IMPOSTOR SYNDROME
One powerful antidote to Imposter feelings is to take the time to talk to trusted peers and mentors about their careers. Listen to their stories and experiences and you’ll likely discover that nothing came easy.
The Soloist
Natural Genius
The Expert
"I Just Don't Know Enough"Constantly Seeking Trainings & Certifications"I Must Improve to Succeed"
"I Have to Get It Right on the First Try"Used to Getting "Straight A's", Falls Apart at a Lower MarkThe Smart OneAvoids Doing Things You Aren't Good At
Students
Self
Be Kind to Yourself!
Seek Support
More Information
A Video Source
Who Am I?
Take today as your opportunity to start accepting and embracing your capabilities.
Since people who experience this phenomenon are convinced they’re phonies amongst real-deal colleagues, they often push themselves to work harder and harder to measure up. But this is just a false cover-up for their insecurities, and the work overload may harm not only their own mental health but also their relationships with others. Not sure if this applies to you?
- Do you stay later at the office than the rest of your team, even past the point that you’ve completed that day’s necessary work?
- Do you get stressed when you’re not working and find downtime completely wasteful?
- Have you left your hobbies and passions fall by the wayside, sacrificed to work?
- Do you feel like you haven’t truly earned your title (despite numerous degrees and achievements), so you feel pressed to work harder and longer than those around you to prove your worth?
Experts measure their competence based on “what” and “how much” they know or can do. Believing they will never know enough, they fear being exposed as inexperienced or unknowledgeable.
- Do you shy away from applying to job postings unless you meet every single educational requirement?
- Are you constantly seeking out training or certifications because you think you need to improve your skills in order to succeed?
- Even if you’ve been in your role for some time, can you relate to feeling like you still don't know enough?
- Do you shudder when someone says you’re an expert?
Perfectionism and imposter syndrome often go hand-in-hand. Think about it: Perfectionists set excessively high goals for themselves, and when they fail to reach a goal, they experience major self-doubt and worry about measuring up. Whether they realize it or not, this group can also be control freaks, feeling like if they want something done right, they have to do it themselves. Not sure if this applies to you? Ask yourself these questions:
- Have you ever been accused of being a micromanager?
- Do you have great difficulty delegating?
- Even when you’re able to do so, do you feel frustrated and disappointed in the results?
- When you miss the (insanely high) mark on something, do you accuse yourself of “not being cut out” for your job and ruminate on it for days?
- Do you feel like your work must be 100% perfect, 100% of the time?
Young says people with this competence type believe they need to be a natural “genius.” As such, they judge their competence-based ease and speed as opposed to their efforts. In other words, if they take a long time to master something, they feel shame. These types of imposters set their internal bar impossibly high, just like perfectionists. But natural genius types don’t just judge themselves based on ridiculous expectations, they also judge themselves based on getting things right on the first try. When they’re not able to do something quickly or fluently, their alarm sounds. Not sure if this applies to you?
- Are you used to excelling without much effort?
- Do you have a track record of getting “straight A’s” or “gold stars” in everything you do?
- Were you told frequently as a child that you were the “smart one” in your family or peer group?
- Do you dislike the idea of having a mentor, because you can handle things on your own?
- When you’re faced with a setback, does your confidence tumble because not performing well provokes a feeling of shame?
- Do you often avoid challenges because it’s so uncomfortable to try something you’re not great at?
Sufferers who feel as though asking for help reveals their phoniness are what Young calls Soloists. It’s OK to be independent, but not to the extent that you refuse assistance so that you can prove your worth. Not sure if this applies to you? Ask yourself these questions: Do you firmly feel that you need to accomplish things on your own? “I don’t need anyone’s help.” Does that sound like you? Do you frame requests in terms of the requirements of the project, rather than your needs as a person?