Imposter syndrome is the pervasive doubt that you can’t deliver, often paired with the feeling that everyone else around you is doing fine and you’re just waiting to be ‘found out’ and exposed as incompetent and not up to the job. It can be especially common when you take on a new role or position
Imposter syndrome means constantly feeling like a fraud, doubting that you should be in the role you’re in, doing the job you’re doing. It can be crippling, with common symptoms including lack of self-confidence, difficulty accepting compliments, feelings of isolation, low self-esteem, and burnout.
But let’s be clear: we’re not talking here about you being in a job that you can’t do. If there are skills or knowledge that you lack, that’s a learning and development need that can be addressed. No, imposter syndrome is not about ability. It’s about doubting your ability; it’s about confidence.
Give yourself a boost…
So, how can you build your confidence, reduce your self-doubt, and overcome imposter syndrome?
Here are a few places to start…
- Realistic expectations – Don’t put unnecessary pressure on yourself by setting unrealistic goals. Any new role comes with a learning curve, and you need to set your goals accordingly. Ironically, imposter syndrome often results in a drive for perfection, wanting to get everything just right. Much better to look at what actually needs to be achieved – what is ‘good enough’? – and succeed at that. Once everything feels more under control (and you feel less ‘impostery’), you can set yourself higher-performance goals.
- Reframing – Notice when you start with the negative self-talk (e.g. “I’m never going to get this right”, “Everybody’s waiting for me to mess up”, “I can’t do this job”, etc.) and try reframing your response to the situation (e.g. “In time, this will become second nature”, “My colleagues will support me if I ask for help”, “I got this job because I have the necessary skills, experience and potential to do it well”, etc.)
- Notice your achievements – When you’re feeling like an imposter, the tendency is to reinforce that feeling by only focusing on what you don’t achieve or what you fail to do. Much better to ask yourself, what went well today? Big or small, it doesn’t matter, concentrating on what you’re getting right is a confidence boost and gives you energy to tackle the next challenge.
- Ask for help – With imposter syndrome, your perspective is skewed towards the negative. One antidote is to be brave enough to get another opinion or another perspective. Whether it’s just talking with a friend or setting up a mentoring arrangement with a more experienced colleague, getting some outside input can help you see the bigger (more competent!) picture.
From time to time, we all have doubts about our ability to perform the job and about whether we should even be in the job. It’s natural, and it can be overcome. The above short post has just a few signposts for ways out of feeling like an imposter. For more on imposter syndrome, including how to create inclusive and supportive working environments, check out our “Imposter syndrome and how to deal with it” training programme. Or give us a call at 01582 463463; we’re here to help.
