I heard an interesting podcast today on the subject of being an impostor. This is something that many people feel throughout their career. Here are some of the questions that go through an impostor’s mind: “What if people find out I don’t know everything that I should? What if they realize I am not ready for this role and they shouldn’t have given me the job?” Does this sound like you?
Surprisingly this happens to many high potential people, especially women. It causes them to hold themselves back and miss out on opportunities. They think “I am not ready for this new role yet, I just need to take more training and then I will be ready” or, “Someone tells you that you did something great and all you can think about is why it wasn’t as perfect as it could be. It was just dumb luck that it went so well.”
If you are a manager of one of these “impostors” then you need to recognize it. Listen to the excuses that come up from them about why they can’t do something. Help them see that they can do things that they think aren’t ready for yet. Give them the confidence to get out there and try new things. Remember they have this issue, because they actually care about doing a good job.
The reason that people have impostor syndrome is because they have strong values and they want to master things. It rises to the surface when they care and want to be seen as good at something. It can also show up as procrastination. If they don’t write that article or put themselves out there to do that speech then no one can see them.
So if this describes you, then what should you do? You have done great things in your career. Capture the accomplishments and things that have gone well in your life. Look at the long list of great things that you have done. Those things were scary the first time you tried them, but you were able to figure them out. Now they are no longer scary to you. Find people that are strong supporters of you. They will help give you the courage to feel the fear and do it anyway.
Feeling like an impostor is something that I have experienced myself. I want to help people who think that they are impostors be able to move forward and accomplish great things. If I can help you, please set up time by clicking on this link: http://susanmbarber.com/schedule-an-appointment/
