Releasing the Pressure of Perfection: Achieving Peak Performance with Imposter Syndrome
Imposter syndrome is an all-too-common occurrence among professionals. In fact, it's estimated that 70% of people experience imposter syndrome at some point in their career; a recent KPMG study revealed that “75% of executive women report having personally experienced imposter syndrome at certain points in their career.” Another study by The HRDirector noted that as high as 85% of workers in the United Kingdom had feelings of not being good enough in their role at work. This can manifest itself in team environments when team members feel they don't belong or are not up to the task, leading to decreased team performance and reduced team synergy. It can come in many forms, and recognizing these different symptoms is essential for mitigating their impact while helping your team reach their highest performance capabilities.
When team members experience imposter syndrome, it can have a ripple effect across all levels of the team. It's important for managers to be aware of the various forms this limiting belief can take in order for them to mitigate its effects and ensure team success.
What Causes Imposter Syndrome?
Imposter syndrome is a psychological phenomenon wherein an individual experiences feelings of inadequacy despite having achieved successes and recognition. It may manifest itself through:
feeling overwhelmed
feeling underqualified
suffering from chronic self-doubt
second-guessing decisions
All of this can result in feelings of insecurity that lead to increased stress levels and decreased productivity.
The Impact on Teams
When an individual experiences imposter syndrome, it can have a ripple effect across all levels of your team. This includes:
difficulty delegating tasks
decreased collaboration between team members
reduced creativity due to fear of failure
team members being overly critical of themselves and their work, which may undermine team trust and cooperation
team members may exhibit signs of:
low self-esteem
anxiety
fear
feelings of guilt
feelings of shame due to perceived failures on their part
team members may also struggle with communication issues within the team, such as:
difficulty expressing ideas
difficulty taking feedback constructively
team members may become reluctant or resistant to change or innovation out of fear that they won’t be able to keep up with new expectations
All of this can create an environment where everyone feels inadequate and unable to perform at their best. Consequently, these factors can hinder team performance if left unchecked because it ultimately prevents people from working together effectively and collaboratively towards shared goals.
4 Strategies to Combat Imposter Syndrome on Your Team
While there are many strategies for managing imposter syndrome, one key component is acknowledging its existence within your team and providing support when needed. Fortunately, there are steps that managers can take to support their team while tackling imposter syndrome head-on. Here are the top four strategies to combat imposter syndrome on your team:
1. Encourage open communication
Utilizing a safe space where team members feel comfortable enough to talk about issues openly encourages authentic conversations that allow everyone’s voice to be heard without judgement or criticism. This helps build better understanding amongst colleagues and provides a more comfortable environment for people who are struggling with imposter syndrome symptoms like low self-esteem or fear of failure.
2. Lead by example
As leaders on the team, it’s important for managers to set an example by exemplifying strong communication skills and instilling trust amongst team members by practicing what you preach. When faced with challenges, displaying resilience rather than giving into frustration helps create an atmosphere where your team feels secure enough to confront any difficulties without turning against each other in distressful moments due to fears associated with failure or feeling inadequate compared to others around them.
3. Create an atmosphere of understanding
When communicating with those experiencing imposter syndrome symptoms, try approaching them from an empathetic perspective instead of attempting solutions immediately - this is especially helpful when dealing with perfectionists who tend to avoid mistakes at all costs out of fear that it would reflect badly on them personally instead of focusing on learning from the experience so that the same mistakes aren't repeated in future projects.
Additionally, recognizing hard work when it happens will help motivate individuals going through tough times instead of allowing negative emotions to take over conversations - this encourages their growth rather than stifles it down, resulting in higher overall performance levels amongst everyone involved in collaborative tasks!
4. Offer Supportive Resources
To ensure team success, providing personalized support and resources is essential. Executive coaching, psychological therapy sessions or leader mentorships can normalize mental health topics for employees facing imposter syndrome under pressure situations - addressing their personal needs to effectively manage stressors together as a unit! Ultimately, this type of team support creates an environment where everyone's wellbeing counts in achieving goals amidst any potential roadblocks on the journey ahead.
Additionally, it’s important to be aware of the various signs that indicate someone may be struggling with imposter syndrome such as procrastination or excessive perfectionism – these are often overlooked but should be addressed immediately if present!
A Perfection Pressure Release for High Performance Teams
Imposter syndrome is far more than an individual struggle - it has the power to influence entire teams' success or failure if left unacknowledged and untreated.
Addressing imposter syndrome and releasing that pressure for perfection requires effort both from the person experiencing it and their management structure alike - which involves being aware about different manifestations so that appropriate measures for mitigating impact can be implemented accordingly before any fallout happens within teams needing high levels of performance capabilities! Implementing these strategies will go a long way towards building stronger teams with increased collaboration abilities, ensuring the best work outcome possible every time!
As managers, it’s important that we recognize the signs of impostor syndrome within our teams so we can provide the necessary support systems for our employees to help them reach their highest performance potential! By doing so, we will create stronger teams with higher morale who can achieve greater success!
If you want your team to achieve more and feel better about their accomplishments in 2023 and beyond, contact us today for a free strategy session. Our experience and science-based coaching approach will help you identify opportunities for unleashing your team’s full potential. You can also activate your own future-ready team using our Future-Flexible Team Building Workshop. Our mission is to support you in being your best self and doing your best work, as often as possible, now and in the future.
Golden Point Executives specializes in empowering leaders and teams with growth and future-ready mindsets that push them to higher performance levels and increased business growth potential.
