THE IMPOSTER PHENOMENON: TAKING A STAND
It is not uncommon for people to suffer from feelings of inadequacy at work. For some, that goes one step further and they feel that sooner or later they will be discovered as a ‘fraud’, and not truly deserving of the position of responsibility that they hold. What is interesting about these feelings is that they may have little or no basis in reality. Feelings of inadequacy can strike the most experienced, competent and productive of individuals, with a profound and potentially crippling effect on their work and relationships. The good news is that there is a way through this anguish, so that personal impact is bolstered rather than hampered. Dr Terri Simpkin, academic, consultant, public speaker and educator, is a global expert on this topic, and her work forms the basis of this second post in our 2020 series on influential female thinkers. If you would like to read our first post, here it is: Daring to be vulnerable, featuring Brene Brown.
Simpkin has spent years working with governments, industry associations and large and small businesses across the world. She was named as one of the 50 most influential women in the data economy. Her own experience of imposter phenomenon -– combined with a strong desire to assist others who experience it - led her to conduct global research into the phenomenon. It is this research combined with her deep experience that qualifies and empowers her to write widely on the topic and to offer helpful guidance and solutions.
Understanding Imposter Phenomenon
Imposter Phenomenon is that intense but irrational feeling of intellectual fraudulence. It is widely misunderstood. Most of what is reported as “Imposter Syndrome” is self-doubt. Imposter Phenomenon (IP), however, can be debilitating, career harming and can lead to anxiety and depression. It has the potential to sap motivation and suppress potential, and is thus clearly an area that organisations and HR departments might want to understand a little better. The phenomenon is socially learned, a product of social structures and stories that are being fuelled in the workplace through workplace culture, processes and structures. Research suggests that around 70% of people will experience IP at some point in their lives. Even more surprisingly, results for current research into the experience of women in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), tells us this story: a shocking 95% of women experience a feeling of being a ‘fraud’ in their own roles. In terms of reported experiences of IP: 29% are moderate, 60% are frequent and 6% are intense. The Phenomenon is contextual, meaning that it may be debilitating in one situation, and non-existent in another.
People experiencing IP have an unhealthy fascination with perfectionism, self-handicapping, stress, burnout and anxiety. They are characteristically less comfortable talking about their own achievements and may not genuinely recognise them. Success tends to be attributed externally and failure internally. A heightened sensitivity to short-comings, combined with a lack appreciation for strengths, means that they can end up understating their value in organisations. In short, they settle for less than they should. This has multiple potentially negative impacts. In pay negotiations for example, their contribution is minimized in favour of the achievements of others. When considering new positions, they may too easily de-select suitable roles.
“Impostor experiences may well be making a profound contribution to the seemingly intractable, perhaps wicked, problem of a lack of diversity in many organisations generally, and specifically at board level.” – Dr Terri Simpkin
Interestingly, imposters often show awareness of and frustration with their self-limiting beliefs, which strip them of their self-efficacy and see them being passed up for promotions. Stories from the research tell of the anger when less competent peers land up in the role they know they are most suited to, and of how they know they could “do more, be more, achieve more, if it were not for the internal imposter that would not allow it”.
3 practical take-aways
If the content of this post resonates for you, consider these take-aways to stop feeling less like a fraud:
1. Examine underlying reasons Where do feelings of inadequacy come from? Parents and teachers may provide clues – were they perfectionists? Did praise go by unnoticed, or perhaps failures got public recognition? Were siblings put up as role models? What we learn as children gets carried into adulthood. Some of our behaviours may be illogical and contrary to current evidence.
2. Open, honest feedback Get clarity on the value you bring and improve your knack for articulating it. Find someone you trust and use logic to argue where praise and critique should be recognised and accepted.
3. Accept praise when it is offered Try responding with “thanks’. Just thanks. This replaces “I was just lucky”, “I didn’t do it that well”, “but, …”. A thanks is just enough.
4. Accept when to let go. Imposters may set unrealistically high standards for themselves. Aim to find the line of ‘good enough’, rather than always seeking perfection at any cost.
If you would like to know more about what organisations can do to tackle the effects of Imposter Phenomenon, let us know and we will consider a follow-up blog on this topic.
One step further
Take it one step further. Explore more of Terri’s work below.
The leadership implications of the imposter phenomenon at work https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/leadership-implications-impostor-phenomenon-work-terri-simpkin-phd/
Braver Stronger Smarter Website: www.braverstrongersmarter.com
The imposter phenomenon and the toll it takes on women in the workplace https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/analysis-and-features/the-impostor-phenomenon-and-the-toll-it-takes-on-working-women-a8069826.html
Imposter phenomenon: how you can identify it and overcome it https://www.hrmonline.com.au/performance/imposter-phenomenon-identify-overcome/