Understanding Impostor Syndrome
How It Affects You and Your Workplace
Let’s talk about Impostor Syndrome. According to a 2016 study, the symptoms of this phenomenon will affect an estimated 70% of people at least once in their lifetime. With this many people affected, we think it’s worthwhile considering how this may be impacting your career and the culture of your workplace.
What is impostor syndrome?
Those with impostor syndrome feel like they’re playing someone else's role and that it's only a matter of time before they get 'found out'. They are often convinced that their successes are accidental and that their failures are inevitable due to their lack of skill / ability / motivation etc.
The real kicker with impostor syndrome is not that you believe everyone else thinks you aren't worthy / capable enough to fill the role - it's that you suspect they might be right.
Who's affected and why?
The original coiners of the term specifically had women in mind but, over the last 50 years, it has become clear that it has different yet meaningful impacts on both sexes. Triggers are equally varied but there are some common themes as to when individuals are more likely to experience impostor syndrome...
being in a new environment / situation (i.e. a new company / team / role)
perceiving high stakes / consequences (i.e. delivery pressure, large budgets, strong company reputations)
receiving non-specific or empty praise (i.e. being referred to as 'the rockstar of the team')
How does it manifest?
It's important to recognize that the feeling of being an impostor is almost always entirely decoupled from the facts on the ground. It is a fear arising from cognitive distortions - when your brain creates unhelpful stories. Some of those stories might include...
"I feel like an idiot - so I must be one"
(emotional reasoning)
"I believe I'm not qualified - so I bias in favor of evidence that supports that belief"(mental filter)
"My manager said I did a good job ... but I'm pretty sure he was just being nice"
(discounting positives)
In our coaching practice at PeopleStorming, we help clients to identify these kinds of distortions in their thoughts and beliefs. We've found that this can be enormously empowering in breaking the cycle of self-doubt and self-blame.
The workplace consequences
People experiencing impostor syndrome can lack confidence in the value of their opinions and ideas. As such, they can be less inclined to share those thoughts with their teams. So too with feedback - they may not think they're qualified to give it. They might not seek promotions or reach for positions of leadership due to their conviction that they aren't worthy of doing so.
How can you help yourself?
dissect the stories you tell yourself that leave you feeling like an impostor
establish clear expectations before doing major pieces of work so you can have confidence in the objectivity of any assessment.
ask other people for specific feedback.
How can you help your colleagues and your organization?
look out for people who are self censoring and help them be more expressive
ensure that performance assessment criteria don't rely on self-promotion and that managers are close enough to the work to understand the value of each person's contribution
when giving praise/thanks, just as with critical feedback, be specific about impact/value
If you’re struggling with impostor syndrome, please reach out for support.