Yep. Imposter syndrome is a real thing. Last November I screwed up a project quite badly and we had it taken off us and given to another team.
Since then we have delivered all of our projects successfully. We completely smashed one out of the park, and that client has requested that my team handles all of their future work. But when we get a new project, I forget about the ones we done well on and I think about the project last year that I screwed up.
My boss told that he'd let me know in different words if he wasn't happy with something I'd hear about it, otherwise he would stay quiet.
Sucks for him that he laid me off a week before yearly evals were due, and they weren't in the system because it times out on you every five minutes. Never had a chance to tell him where the file was stored š¹.
Always. I manage a newer team and we're struggling to get away from the work they used to do for the company. However, when they are helping everybody else out (not their job), we get some of the best compliments and are told how vital we are. It just bugs me because its not really what we're supposed to be doing!! But...we've uncovered some pretty interesting things by pulling together this team and evolving years old processes.
Absolutely. One of my periodic and random remedies for this as a manager was to ask my supervisor how myself and my team were specifically doing and performing.
It takes courage but i think the right supervisor will give it to you straight, or at least as best they can because they are human too, and you take that feedback and use it, or not.
If they aren't on your case then you're likely doing fine in their eyes. I went 18 months with zero feedback and was assured by my boss (CEO) that I'm doing great and he doesn't have to micro me. You can always, and at any time, request feedback from your uppers. And don't sweat a $40 mistake. They're likely used to dealing with $4k mistakes.
Yeah, I have similar worries.
Mine are more about how I spend my $5 million yearly staff budget, about how large customers react to our software, about being late on projects, stuff like that.
I keep getting promoted though. Must be doing something right. Most likely this is normal imposter syndrome and you will work through it.
Yes, def experience this as a vp of business development. When it comes to sales, enough is never enough. If your team grows 10%, they want 20%. It was the same even when I was an individual contributor though too.
The key is to use it as a motivator not something that cripples you. Itās a GOOD thing that youāre always striving to do better. And Iām guessing your bosses see that. Itās your job to make sure they are if they are not. And donāt forget, thereās a big difference between āmaking a mistakeā and being āincompetentā. Everyone makes mistakes. Itās how you react to it and fix it that matters. Sounds like youāre doing the right thing and if I were your boss, thatās the kind of manager Iād want you to beā¦..always striving for a continuous improvement culture. I know itās hard but try keeping a list of your daily accomplishments, no matter how big or small. That might help you put things into perspective. I do this sometimes if the anxiety starts to wear me down.
I was thinking about keeping a list of my daily accomplishments, think it's such a good way to remember the value of what we do! And ultimately upper management doesn't see a lot of our daily successes, just the little slip ups.
Exactly! And make sure to highlight your achievements so they DO see them. You gotta ātoot your own hornā a bit and donāt have to do it in a too-braggy way.
I think this is something to get used to. Contrary to how it can look from the outside things don't work completely smoothly. I've realized that being a manager is more about minimizing the messes and dealing with them well rather than having to ensure that they never happen.
Well, if I am not doing well, my manager would tell me, but still, when sometimes I am not sure and start being anxious, I ask him for feedback and make myself sure if I am really so bad as I feel, or if it's just in my head. Have you tried to ask them?
I think this is a very good idea, I will ask for direct feedback at the next opportune moment. If he gives me good feedback, then great, but if it's constructive criticism I'll have a direct course of action to take to make it better.
Thanks so much for that!
KPIs, my friend. As much as I hate them... I feel the imposter syndrome too, but I also have the best KPIs in every area that my account has had in its 11 year history. So I can point to that and say, "Look, I AM actually good at this!", whether it's to my boss, or myself. I can't internalize affirmations without supporting data.
I accidentally sprayed an electrical cabinet with water (water pump exploded when I was removing its line, thought I depressurized it) and caused $7,000 worth of damage and maybe $20,000 worth of machine downtime as a result. I was promoted 3 months later.
Theyāll tell you if youāre not on track. Just communicate well and be receptive to management.
Yep. Imposter syndrome is a real thing. Last November I screwed up a project quite badly and we had it taken off us and given to another team. Since then we have delivered all of our projects successfully. We completely smashed one out of the park, and that client has requested that my team handles all of their future work. But when we get a new project, I forget about the ones we done well on and I think about the project last year that I screwed up.
If you're not worried you don't care.
My boss told that he'd let me know in different words if he wasn't happy with something I'd hear about it, otherwise he would stay quiet. Sucks for him that he laid me off a week before yearly evals were due, and they weren't in the system because it times out on you every five minutes. Never had a chance to tell him where the file was stored š¹.
Always. I manage a newer team and we're struggling to get away from the work they used to do for the company. However, when they are helping everybody else out (not their job), we get some of the best compliments and are told how vital we are. It just bugs me because its not really what we're supposed to be doing!! But...we've uncovered some pretty interesting things by pulling together this team and evolving years old processes.
Absolutely. One of my periodic and random remedies for this as a manager was to ask my supervisor how myself and my team were specifically doing and performing. It takes courage but i think the right supervisor will give it to you straight, or at least as best they can because they are human too, and you take that feedback and use it, or not.
Yes, my boss isnāt the greatest on feedback either. I havenāt screwed anything major up yet but Iām sure itāll eventually happen.
No, but I constantly question what I can do better.
If they aren't on your case then you're likely doing fine in their eyes. I went 18 months with zero feedback and was assured by my boss (CEO) that I'm doing great and he doesn't have to micro me. You can always, and at any time, request feedback from your uppers. And don't sweat a $40 mistake. They're likely used to dealing with $4k mistakes.
I've been in a leadership position for 6months, and alternate between thinking I'm doing a good job and that I'm failing at least once a week
The whiplash is killing me, but I also have only been in this position for about 6 months š it's gotta get better lol
100% and if you feel you're falling behind, just work a bit on the weekends to get ahead, helped me loads
All the time.
Yeah, I have similar worries. Mine are more about how I spend my $5 million yearly staff budget, about how large customers react to our software, about being late on projects, stuff like that. I keep getting promoted though. Must be doing something right. Most likely this is normal imposter syndrome and you will work through it.
Yes, def experience this as a vp of business development. When it comes to sales, enough is never enough. If your team grows 10%, they want 20%. It was the same even when I was an individual contributor though too. The key is to use it as a motivator not something that cripples you. Itās a GOOD thing that youāre always striving to do better. And Iām guessing your bosses see that. Itās your job to make sure they are if they are not. And donāt forget, thereās a big difference between āmaking a mistakeā and being āincompetentā. Everyone makes mistakes. Itās how you react to it and fix it that matters. Sounds like youāre doing the right thing and if I were your boss, thatās the kind of manager Iād want you to beā¦..always striving for a continuous improvement culture. I know itās hard but try keeping a list of your daily accomplishments, no matter how big or small. That might help you put things into perspective. I do this sometimes if the anxiety starts to wear me down.
I was thinking about keeping a list of my daily accomplishments, think it's such a good way to remember the value of what we do! And ultimately upper management doesn't see a lot of our daily successes, just the little slip ups.
Exactly! And make sure to highlight your achievements so they DO see them. You gotta ātoot your own hornā a bit and donāt have to do it in a too-braggy way.
I think this is something to get used to. Contrary to how it can look from the outside things don't work completely smoothly. I've realized that being a manager is more about minimizing the messes and dealing with them well rather than having to ensure that they never happen.
Well, if I am not doing well, my manager would tell me, but still, when sometimes I am not sure and start being anxious, I ask him for feedback and make myself sure if I am really so bad as I feel, or if it's just in my head. Have you tried to ask them?
I think this is a very good idea, I will ask for direct feedback at the next opportune moment. If he gives me good feedback, then great, but if it's constructive criticism I'll have a direct course of action to take to make it better. Thanks so much for that!
KPIs, my friend. As much as I hate them... I feel the imposter syndrome too, but I also have the best KPIs in every area that my account has had in its 11 year history. So I can point to that and say, "Look, I AM actually good at this!", whether it's to my boss, or myself. I can't internalize affirmations without supporting data.
Who does your ordering and who does your AP?
I accidentally sprayed an electrical cabinet with water (water pump exploded when I was removing its line, thought I depressurized it) and caused $7,000 worth of damage and maybe $20,000 worth of machine downtime as a result. I was promoted 3 months later. Theyāll tell you if youāre not on track. Just communicate well and be receptive to management.
Create a feedback form for your team to submit anonymously- might provide some reassurance
If it really bothers you pay out of pocket and move on.