If You Have Imposter Syndrome, Don’t Tell People What to Do, Tell Them What Works.
If part of your job involves advice or instructions, you probably have experienced impostor syndrome to some extent. To avoid this, try telling people what works for you, rather than just telling them what to do.
Impostor Syndrome occurs when you feel like a cheater, especially in a professional sense, when you are not. You cannot accept your accomplishments and instead feel that you have nothing to do with what you do, so you feel inadequate in your position. It’s not that bad , but it can prevent you from performing at your best. If you feel like an imposter, it may be difficult for you to tell your colleagues 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 something and what they need to do, often without their asking, you are putting a lot of pressure on yourself to achieve perfection. So stop doing this first (yes, I understand the irony). Instead of telling people what to do, I suggest that you tell them what you are doing and why, and the rest is up to them. Then you don’t need to feel like a person who has all the answers.
As someone with Impostor Syndrome , I often talk about my own experiences when I write. Of course, this makes the topic more interesting and digestible. But it also helps you deal with your fear of telling people what to do.
On the other hand, if you think like an impostor, you will be an impostor . This is a valid argument, but this advice still works, at least for me (see what I did there?), Because after a while it gives me confidence that I can overcome that fear and be direct.
If you’re dealing with Impostor Syndrome, it’s worth a try. To find out more, skip to the full post below.
Are there days when you feel like an absolute impostor? | Inc.com via Muse
Photo by Yukhan Sonin .