Sometimes self-doubt allows you to question yourself and evolve. But like anything, excess can have the opposite effect. So when an employee begins to express fears about his abilities, he may face what is called the “impostor syndrome“, provoking the tired, of the’dissatisfaction and theinability to maintain a healthy balance between his work and his personal life. This is what a study presented in early July reveals over there Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP).
At work and at home
A total of 463 people working at least 20 hours per week and having held the same job for at least 6 months were interviewed. And according to researchers from the US universities of Houston-Clear Lake, South Florida and Houston who conducted the research, those with impostor syndrome find it difficult to believe in their own success and tend to overcompensate. A phenomenon that has strong emotional consequences.
In fact, these individuals are exhausted, and are more likely to find themselves torn between their roles at work and at home. And so, to be less satisfied with their family life. “The most important point of our study was to show that employees who constantly feel out of place not only suffer harmful effects at work, but also at homesays Lisa Sublett, assistant professor of psychology who participated in the research. […] They are at greater risk of experiencing high levels of burnout, job dissatisfaction and work-family conflict. “
“If I can do it, everyone can”
Scientists have tried to identify the indicators of impostor syndrome. They thus include tendencies to perfectionism, such as overpreparing and overestimating errors. Those affected use expressions such as “I was lucky”, “I was in the right place at the right time” and “if I can do it, everyone can” to describe their work. , rather than acknowledging their successes. However, these behaviors would be particularly observable among “employees with high potential”.
To alleviate these feelings, the researchers invite team leaders to help their colleagues by giving them frequent feedback on their work. A workshop that enables participants to recognize and stop this impostor syndrome is also in development. The preliminary results would be promising, according to Lisa Sublett. “Constantly feeling like an intruder, brooding over your mistakes and maintaining perfectionism at work is very exhausting, so it is important to study this to understand the negative implications.”, she concludes.
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