Have you cheated your way to success?

If you tend to lie awake the night before a presentation, feel that you oversold yourself at the job interview or tell yourself that praise or a high grade is undeserved, then you may be affected by the impostor syndrome.

Author and consultant Ann Schødt has over 12 years of experience helping hundreds of people suffering from impostor syndrome. She explains that ‘the impostor syndrome is used to describe a kind of professional inferiority where you have the experience that you are bluffing or have cheated on things or have just been incredibly lucky. You therefore do not have a realistic view of what you can actually do,’ says Ann Schødt.

Ann Schødt highlights three work situations in particular where the feeling of being an impostor can be prominent - when changing jobs, during promotions or as a recent graduate. What the situations have in common is that you are in a new situation and feel that you have to prove your worth.

The fear of disappointing

Mette Rønfeldt Bagger, who is a career counsellor at IDA, often meets members who experience problems related to the impostor syndrome, but many are not at all aware that it is a common psychological phenomenon.

‘I meet many members who are relieved that their problem actually has a name. Often it is very skilled, intelligent and well-functioning people who experience impostor thoughts,’ says Mette Rønfeldt Bagger.

Especially if you work in an industry or company where professionalism is very high and specialised, the feeling of being an impostor can arise because you have to perform at a high level all the time.

At the same time, there is a correlation between being highly gifted and experiencing the impostor syndrome, explains Ann Schødt. ‘People with high intelligence may have experienced that their education or work tasks come easily to them, so when others praise their work, it is difficult to accept recognition and compliments.’

Zero defects culture and perfectionism trigger impostor thoughts

There are many reasons why you may be affected by the impostor syndrome. Ann Schødt divides the reasons for impostor into three factors; namely internal, external and organisational circumstances. The internal causes are personality traits such as low self-esteem, self-confidence and perfectionism, as well as varying degrees of fear and performance anxiety.

The external reasons that can trigger the feeling of being an impostor can be that you have just started a new job, or that your parents have been very critical throughout your upbringing and focused on mistakes.

Impostor syndrome can hit anyone

Ann Schødt emphasises that there are many nuances in the impostor syndrome, and it is very individual what causes the feeling of being an imposter. She suggests starting by taking an impostor test online for an indication of how affected you are by negative thought patterns.

If you feel that you are very alone with the feeling that you are not doing well professionally, then you are actually far from alone. According to a study, as many as 70 percent will at some point in their lives experience some degree of feeling like an impostor, but there is a great difference in the degree of these feelings.

70 % experience impostor syndrome at some point in their lives

Source
Ann Schødt, Potentialefabrikken

If you score between 50-60 in the test, you can breathe a sigh of relief, because then you are like most others. ‘Of course, you can sometimes be nervous before a presentation or exam. Everyone can get nervous when they have to perform, but this does not necessarily mean that they are particularly affected by impostor syndrome,’ says Ann Schødt.

If, on the other hand, you score 70 or above, you should consider seeking help. Remember that you can always contact IDA's career counsellors about concerns or problems you experience.

What you can do yourself

Mette Rønfeldt often encourages members to take evidence-based action when thoughts such as 'I'm useless and not good enough at all' arise. ‘Remember that just because you think something doesn’t mean it’s true. There can be great value in challenging one's negative thoughts and instead systematically thinking about all the experience you have of succeeding in your tasks,’ says Mette Rønfeldt Bagger.

It is a good idea to collect your successes and positive feedback from your boss, colleagues and business partners in a document. You can pull out the document when preparing for an upcoming salary negotiation, but also to challenge your negative thoughts. In addition, Mette Rønfeldt Bagger advises that you make sure you have a clear alignment of expectations with your manager in relation to how your performance will be measured, so that you always have a good idea of ​​whether you are on the right track.

If you are affected by the impostor syndrome, you can practice accepting praise and compliments instead of explaining them away. ‘There's only one thing you have to do, which is to say: “Thank you, I'm glad you think so,” when someone praises your work,’ says Ann Schødt.

It can be incredibly exhausting to constantly feel inadequate, but the positive news is that you can practice changing your thought patterns. Once you have become aware of the pattern, it is important to remember that it also takes a long time to change.

Our brain is malleable and nothing is static - it is important to remember that we ourselves have a high degree of influence on what we want to spend our mental energy on. Once you have become aware of your overly negative way of thinking about yourself, you also have the opportunity to change it with the right strategies and the right help.

If you are very affected by impostor syndrome, the negative thoughts gain the upper hand, and you simply stop believing in your positive attributes. In that situation, Ann Schødt suggests that you may need professional help. – ‘instead of blaming yourself for not being able to think your way out of the problem.’