Faking It - MAC083

There's been a lot of talk recently about "Imposter Syndrome".  The term was coined by psychologists - Dr. Pauline Clance and Dr. Suzanne Imes in the late 1970s, but seems to be mentioned in so many different places the past few years.  Having imposter syndrome is a very common experience in that most people experience some form of imposter syndrome at least once in their career.

Imposter Syndrome is most prevalent when you take a new role.  Self-doubt starts creeping in as you compare yourself to those around you.  You may feel like you need to work extra hard to justify yourself to your new peers.  You may even be dismissive of the accomplishments you DO have.

As you work through the feelings of imposter syndrome, it's important to realize that someone believed in you in order for you to get to the position that you're in.  Instead of thinking that you don't belong, focus on how you earned the right to the position.  No one knows everything and with time and growth, you will be as much of an expert as anyone else.

Another way to combat imposter syndrome is to keep track of your accomplishments and review them.  If you have an Individual Development Plan using my template, you can also review the Successes section as covered in Episode 039 (https://www.managingacareer.com/39).  You can reflect on how much you have learned and grown and realize what you are truly capable of.

If all else fails, reach out to a trusted peer or a mentor or your leader and talk through your feelings.  Often, they can talk about when they experienced imposter syndrome and how they worked through it.

Closely related to imposter syndrome is the fear of failure and a lack of confidence.  If you feel like an imposter, you may think that any tiny failure will reveal to the world that you don't belong.  This type of thinking will quickly erode any confidence you have, just reinforcing the imposter syndrome.

One of the best way to beat failure or the fear of it is to have a few wins.  This is where I like to use the snowball effect.  Set small, short-term goals that involve small risks that are easily achieved.  When you have achieved the goal, set new goals that are slightly bigger.  Each goal will build your confidence like a snowball……small at first but larger and larger as you layer each success on top of it.

Gaining competence - through learning and successes - will also build confidence.  When it comes to imposter syndrome, look at which areas make you feel the most uncertain.  Are there trainings you can take or assignments that you can take on that will help you become more competent and eventually more confident?  Competence and confidence go a long way in eliminating those feelings of imposter syndrome.

Feelings of inadequacy can stall or kill any career advancement you may be seeking.  It's important to recognize those feelings early and work to eliminate them and eliminate them quickly.  If you find yourself struggling, one person who can help you overcome them is a career coach.  If you need a career coach, reach out to me via the  Contact Form at ManagingACareer.com (https://www.managingacareer.com/contact/).  I'll schedule an introductory session where we can talk about your career goals and determine if we would be a good fit for coaching.  If we are, we can arrange regular sessions to help you put your career on the fast track to advancement.

Are you looking for a career coach? If you reach out to me via the contact form, I will arrange an introductory session where we can talk about your career goals and how I can help. If we're a good fit, we can schedule regular coaching sessions.