The Two Negative Outcomes of Imposter Syndrome
When I first started freelancing, I had a very serious case of imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome is defined by Wikipedia as “a psychological pattern in which an individual doubts their skills, talents or accomplishments and has a persistent internalized fear of being exposed as a ‘fraud.’” I was new to the game, I was terrified of being found out as a fraud, so I said yes to everything.
Saying yes to everything is one of the negative outcomes of imposter syndrome. When clients asked me if I could do things for them, I felt I had to say yes. If I said no, I would be found out! If I didn’t know how to do what they asked, I learned really quickly. “Fake it ’til you make it.” Ultimately, this just led me to taking on too much, often not working in my wheelhouse, and producing subpar work.
Saying no everything is the other negative outcome of imposter syndrome. Being too fearful to bring anything to market is another way that imposter syndrome can spoil your work. If you’re honest, you do have a useful skill, and even though you don’t have a big portfolio yet, that doesn’t mean you an’t bring value to someone with your work.
Being honest with yourself and with your clients is the best way to bring your best work to life. I was afraid that clients would ditch me if I told them I couldn’t do something. This just hasn’t been true. Using what Daniel Pink calls “The Blemish Frame”, we can actually increase trust in our services by calling out the bad with the good. He presents research in To Sell Is Human that shows small amounts of negative information give a frame for clients to compare good work to. It brings things back down to earth, making it not seem too good to be true.
Imposter syndrome is mostly unavoidable when you’re starting something new. Even as you progress years and decades into your career, a new promotion or opportunity gives imposter syndrome a chance to return. You have to learn to be alright with that, and avoid the two negative outcomes of imposter syndrome. Learn to be honest, yes optimistic, about your capabilities and work.
Good luck out there.
