If part of your job includes offering advice or instruction, you’ve probably experienced imposter syndrome to some degree. To move past it, try telling people what works for you, rather than just telling them what to do.
Photo by Juhan Sonin.
Imposter syndrome happens when you feel like a fraud, especially in a professional sense, even though you’re not. You can’t accept your accomplishments and instead feel like you have no business doing what you do, so you feel inadequate in your position. It isn’t all bad, but it can get in the way of performing to the best of your ability. If you feel like an imposter, you might have a difficult time telling your co-workers or audience what to do. Instead of telling people what to do, try telling them what works for you. Andrew Griffiths of Inc.com explains:
If you are a person who has to tell everyone else how to do things and what they need to do, often without them asking for it, you put yourself under a lot of pressure to be perfect. So for starters, stop doing that (yes I get the irony). Instead of telling people what to do, I suggest you tell them what you do and why, and the rest is up to them. You don’t have to feel like the person with all the answers then.
As someone who has full blown imposter syndrome, this is why I often talk about my own experiences when I write. It makes the topic more interesting and digestible, sure. But it also helps manage my fear of telling people what to do.
On the other hand, if you think like an imposter, you’ll be an imposter. That’s a valid point, but this tip still works, at least for me (see what I did there?), because after a while, it gives me the confidence to move past that fear and be direct.
If you’re dealing with imposter syndrome, it’s worth a try. For more tips, head to the full post below.
Do you Have Days When you Feel Like an Absolute Imposter? [Inc.com via The Muse]
Comments