The world of work often presents challenges for professionals of all types. One of the most common of these is what we’re going to be discussing in this article: imposter syndrome.
The phenomenon affects an enormous amount of people. According to Asana, 62% of knowledge workers experience imposter syndrome around the globe. This highlights the importance of dealing with the phenomenon if you manage a team of professionals. We’ll be covering this, along with lots of other important details of imposter syndrome below.
What is Imposter Syndrome at Work?
Let’s start off our deep dive into imposter syndrome with the basics: what is imposter syndrome at work?
The term “imposter syndrome” can refer to several concepts. Imposter syndrome at work is a person’s belief that their professional accomplishments are due to external factors—mainly luck—instead of their skills or expertise. People affected by this will think they’re not good enough for their positions and that they’re soon going to get “exposed”.
The term may also be used by someone who feels they don’t fit in with a particular team. This can happen in professional environments as well and is often a part of the first definition of the concept. However, we’re not going to be focusing on it much, as dealing with this type of imposter syndrome is a much more nuanced task.
We’ll now dive deeper into the first definition of imposter syndrome mentioned above by exploring 5 different types of the concept.
The 5 Different Types of “Impostors”
Impostor syndrome at work can affect different people in different ways. Here are 5 of the most common types of “impostors” that you may encounter in your team.
The Perfectionist
Perfectionists commonly suffer from imposter syndrome by setting unreasonably high expectations for themselves. As the name implies, they will be chasing perfection and settling for nothing less. This means that even the slightest shortcomings will make them unhappy. Consequently, perfectionists are rarely satisfied with their work.
Another way perfectionists struggle with imposter syndrome at work is by struggling to delegate their tasks. They’ll often believe they’re better off doing every one of their tasks themselves, rather than risking an imperfect result.
The Expert
Experts believe they should know everything about their work and industry. They strive for perfection in terms of knowledge and feel disappointed if they don’t know something. Consequently, experts rarely ask for help and avoid admitting that they have any knowledge gaps.
The Genius
Geniuses believe that they should be able to master new skills immediately. If they struggle in any area, they will feel disappointed. Geniuses also typically have low patience and struggle with tasks that require lots of it.
The Superhuman
Superhumans try to accomplish as much on their own as possible. This involves taking on as many roles as they can. They will typically also have high expectations for themselves in these roles. Even if they excel in lots of areas, superhumans will feel disappointed if they need to ask for help in any others.
The Soloist
As the name implies, soloists believe they should do everything themselves. They’re quite similar in this regard to our previous “impostor”, but they may struggle less with overworking than superhumans.
The Effects of Imposter Syndrome on Your Team
Having covered most of the foundation of imposter syndrome at work, let’s now cover how it will affect your team. The key effects of imposter syndrome are:
- Increased risk of burnout
- Decreased willingness to take on new challenges or try something new
Let’s explore these in-depth now, starting with the first one.
Higher Risk of Burnout
Professionals with imposter syndrome will almost always set unreasonable expectations for themselves. Then, one of the only ways they see to achieve these is through overworking. Sooner or later this will lead to burnout, which brings with it lots of negative effects—both for the person with imposter syndrome and their coworkers. Check out our article on how to recognize and prevent burnout to learn more about the topic.
Reluctance to Take On Challenges or Try Something New
People dealing with imposter syndrome are more likely to avoid risks. They’ll avoid trying new things out of fear of failing or being judged. While this won’t have any immediate negative impacts on their performance, taking on risks is vital for growth. As a result, employees who feel like impostors will develop their professional skills much more slowly. In the long term, this will stifle innovation in your business and cause inefficiencies.
The Role of Time Tracking Software in Addressing Imposter Syndrome at Work
The main way of addressing imposter syndrome at work, at least the kind where one doesn’t feel worthy enough for their position, is through data. This is where productivity software like time trackers can help you a lot. By tracking your team’s performance and helping them see their achievements, you can help them recognize that their feelings of unworthiness are baseless.
How to Address Imposter Syndrome in Your Team as a Leader
Having explored the concept in-depth, let’s now take a look at how you can address imposter syndrome in your team. We’ll also cover how time tracking software will help you in the process and make your efforts more effective. The main steps you should take are the following:
- Set realistic targets for your staff for both the short and long run
- Take advantage of your team’s performance data
- Make sure your staff work in a collaborative environment
Set Realistic Short and Long Term Goals
The first step to addressing imposter syndrome at work involves setting realistic goals for each of your employees. While your team may still set higher expectations for themselves, you should avoid contributing to this as much as possible. You can set long and short-term targets using a time tracker with Project and Task Management functionality, like WebWork.
Make Extensive Use of Tracked Data
One of the best ways to counter imposter syndrome is with data. By showing your staff that they perform well and keep accomplishing their goals, you can help them overcome the phenomenon. Using feature-rich time trackers is perfect for this use case, as you’ll be able to collect ample performance data pretty quickly.
Foster a Collaborative Work Environment
Fostering a collaborative environment at your business will have countless benefits for your team. One of these will be a reduction in the prevalence of impostor syndrome, as close collaboration can eliminate feelings of isolation completely.
Choosing the Right Time Tracker for Dealing with Imposter Syndrome at Work and Beyond
Before closing off this article, let’s take a look at one more thing: what to look for in a time tracker for dealing with impostor syndrome and beyond. A few key considerations you should pay attention to are the following:
- Tracking Functionality
- Detailed Reports
- Management Functionality
- Collaboration Tools
Tracking Functionality
The best time trackers on the market offer lots of tracking functionality beyond just time tracking. Apps like WebWork can help you monitor your team’s activity levels, app and website usage, attendance, task progress, and more. Combining all of these will help you get a complete picture of your staff’s performance, which you can then use to help them overcome their imposter syndrome.
Detailed Reports
Closely tied to our last point of discussion, tracking lots of data won’t be of much use to you if you can’t access it easily. The main way of doing this is through reports, which is another key thing you should look for in a time tracker. Besides just having lots of them, you should also look for an app that lets you customize your reports. You can find the data you’re looking for much more easily with things like filters and sorting options. If you wish to take this to the next level, you should consider an AI-powered time tracking software, like WebWork. This will let you get exactly the data you need with nothing more than a prompt.
Management Functionality
Various management tools will make it simpler for you to monitor your team’s performance to balance their workloads. High-quality time trackers like WebWork offer a wide range of such features, including shift scheduling, leave management, task management, and more. Picking time tracking software with more of these will give you a greater degree of control over your team’s workflows.
Collaboration Tools
As mentioned previously, collaboration can play a major role in countering imposter syndrome at work. Time trackers that offer collaboration features can assist you in fostering a collaborative environment. Using such tools will make it easier for your staff to work together closely, as they won’t have to switch between apps to communicate and track their time. You’ll also be able to eliminate dedicated communication apps from your workflows. As a result, you’ll simplify your management work and save money for your business.
Concluding Thoughts
An enormous amount of people are dealing with the challenges of imposter syndrome at work. It’s causing them to overwork themselves in an effort to prove their worth, which can have lots of negative consequences. To avoid these in your team, it’s important for you to work with your staff to address the issue effectively.
Helping your employees understand that their successes are a result of their hard work is vital in ensuring they feel valued. To get the most from your efforts, you should incorporate time tracking software in your workflows. This will make your work easier with data, while providing you with many other productivity benefits beyond dealing with impostor syndrome.
