Do you ever feel that you’re not good enough? That you’re not as good as other people and are going to be ‘found out’ at any moment? Imposter Syndrome causes perfectly competent, skilled people to doubt themselves in spite of all the evidence of their achievements and success.
Imposter Syndrome is where are consumed with self-doubt and have a deep sense of insecurity. Telltale signs include anxiety, self-criticism, overworking, perfectionism, fear of failure, avoidance, procrastination the persistent inability to believe that your success is deserved or has been legitimately achieved as a result of your efforts. The Imposter Phenomenon, as it is also known, will affect most of us at some point in our lives. It is common in the workplace – around 70% of workers will have it at some point in their careers and it is believed to affect women more than men. A recent survey by KPMG found that 75% of female executives have experienced it. Perfectionism is one of the key drivers of Imposter Syndrome with a threat to your wellbeing in the form of burnout as you go into a cycle of diminishing returns. Some of the key characteristics of Imposter Syndrome include:
- Fear that you won’t live up to expectations
- Perfectionism
- Inability to realistically assess your competence and skills
- Berating your performance
- Attributing your success to external factors
- Being an overachiever
- Self-doubt
- Setting very challenging goals and feeling disappointed when you fall short
- Self-sabotaging
The Positive Psychology solution to overcome Imposter Syndrome draws on a range of evidence-based techniques to build confidence and cement a positive sense of self.
A workshop, webinar or talk would typically include:
- What is the Imposter Syndrome – awareness is the first step to the cure
- Using Optimism to challenge the undermining inner dialogue and bounce back
- Building Confidence following the 4 Ms of mastery, mentoring, modelling and mood
- Knowing your Strengths so that you can base your self-esteem on something solid
- Using a Growth Mindset to deal positively with uncertainty.
Please contact Miriam to tailor a session for your organisational needs.
