There used to be a show on television (a long time ago actually) that was really popular called "To Tell the Truth". The show was off and on the air throughout the late 1950's through the 1970's, and there were even a couple of attempts to revive the show in the 1980's. The basic premise was that four guest celebrity panelists would question three contestants, asking questions to identify the "central character" whose unusual occupation or life experience had been read by the show's moderator/host. The catch was that while the unknown "central character" had to answer truthfully, the other two impostors could lie. After a set period of time, the celebrity panelists would guess which one of the contestants was the "central character", and the audience would also get to vote. Once all the votes were in, the show's moderator/host would say, "Will the real [person's name] please stand up", and the "central character" would reveal him- or herself. The other two contestants - the impostors - would then leave the stage.
At some point in our lives, we all have probably felt like one of the other two contestants in the television show, "To Tell the Truth". While we aren't trying to fool the audience, we may feel as though we've fooled everyone else around us (even when we weren't trying to do so). We feel like impostors (incidentally, impostor and imposter are two different spellings of the same word) or frauds. We feel like we aren't qualified for the jobs that we have, or we don't deserve all the accolades that come our way.
I have posted about what has come to be called the imposter syndrome in the past (see "Imposters"). Imposter syndrome is defined as the persistent inability to believe that one's success is deserved or has been legitimately achieved as a result of one's own effort and skill. Psychologists estimate that at least 25-30% of high-achievers suffer from imposter syndrome, and around 70% of adults experience a mild form of it at least once in their lives.
The imposter syndrome was first described in a research study by Pauline Clance and Suzanne Imes in 1978 ("The imposter phenomenon in high-achieving women: Dynamics and therapeutic intervention"). Since that first description, several studies have further characterized imposter syndrome in a variety of settings and contexts. Imposter syndrome has been linked with a host of negative outcomes, including decreased self-esteem, decreased well-being, and increased burnout. Whether the negative intrapersonal outcomes lead to lower performance in the workplace, however, is still not known for certain.
Imposter syndrome can, and often does, affect all of us. I think we would be surprised to learn how prevalent these thoughts of inadequacy really, even among some very accomplished individuals. The American writer Maya Angelou once wrote, "I have written 11 books but each time I think 'Uh-oh, they're going to find out now. I've run a game on everybody, and they're going to find me out." Sheryl Sandberg, who was the Chief Operating Officer at Facebook, tells a similar story in her book, Lean In. "Every time I was called on in class, I was sure that I was about to embarrass myself. Every time I took a test, I was sure that it had gone badly. And every time I didn't embarrass myself - or even excelled - I believed that I had fooled everyone yet again." The American writer and Nobel Laureate John Steinbeck once said, "I am not a writer. I've been fooling myself and other people."
Basima Tewfik published a very interesting study last year in the Academy of Management Journal and found that those who have workplace imposter thoughts actually are viewed in a more positive light. Contrary to expectation, she found that these individuals are more likely to be seen as more interpersonally effective at work and no less competent than their peers.
Tewfik conducted four small studies that collectively involved just over 3,600 individuals in four different workplace settings. In the first study, she surveyed 150 employees at an investment advisory firm and matched their subjectively reported feelings of imposter syndrome with their direct supervisors' ratings. Those employees who reported more frequent imposter thoughts actually scored higher on interpersonal effectiveness! In the second study, Tewfik surveyed 70 physicians in residency training and again found that those physicians who self-reported imposter thoughts were more likely to adopt an other-focused orientation through eye contact, personal gestures, etc and were thus perceived as having a much better "bedside manner" by their patients.
While the first two studies suggest a relationship between imposter thoughts and better interactions with others, her next two studies established a cause-and-effect relationship. Specifically, she randomly assigned study subjects to either a control condition or an imposter thoughts condition. Subjects in the latter group were asked to recall a specific time when they had imposter thoughts at work, after which they were interviewed. Those subjects in the imposter group were rated higher in interpersonal effectiveness than those in the control group. Given the prevalence of imposter thoughts (I'm not sure that there are true diagnostic criteria for the syndrome itself) in the workplace, it's reassuring, to me at least, that there appears to be some benefit. When we feel inadequate to the task at hand, we often interact better with our colleagues, customers, patients, or peers!
So, there are two important lessons from today's post. First, at some point in time, most, if not all, of us will question are own abilities, knowledge, skills, or expertise. Even some of the most accomplished and successful individuals in the world will at one time have feelings of imposter syndrome. Second, imposter syndrome doesn't necessarily have to be a bad thing. As a matter of fact, when we feel inadequate or question our own abilities, we are more likely to adopt an outward focus on those around us - we become better friends, colleagues, and teammates.
No comments:
Post a Comment