From Praise to Pressure - Understanding the Perfectionism Problem with Greg Chasson

Sit down with host Brandon Laws and guest Dr. Gregory Chasson for a never-discussed topic on our podcast: perfectionism in the workplace. Drawing insights from his recent book, Flawed, Dr. Chasson paints a picture of how the relentless pursuit of perfection can spiral into a toxic force within corporate culture. Tune in to learn how leaders can combat this “perfection obsession” with empathy, understanding, and flexibility. 

TAKEAWAYS

• Perfectionism becomes problematic when it involves excessive, inflexible demands that go beyond what's considered normal or healthy.

• Procrastination is often a manifestation of perfectionism because people engage in safety behaviors such as excessive checking, reassurance-seeking, or extensive research to avoid failure.

• Perfectionism undermines workplace efficiency and productivity because it leads to decision paralysis, a toxic work environment, and other-oriented perfectionism, where employees impose unrealistic standards on their colleagues.

• Organizational practices like public praise or leaderboards can unwittingly perpetuate a culture of perfectionism, often demoralizing those struggling to meet the high standards.

• Perfectionists often overemphasize rules at the expense of underlying values, leading to policing behaviors that can be detrimental to workplace harmony.

• “Should” statements create unattainable universal expectations, leading to overwhelming pressure and feelings of inadequacy. 

A QUICK GLIMPSE INTO OUR PODCAST 🔊 Podcast: Transform Your Workplace, sponsored by Xenium HR 🎙️ Host: Brandon Laws 📋 In his own words: “The Transform Your Workplace podcast is your go-to source for the latest workplace trends, big ideas, and time-tested methods straight from the mouths of industry experts and respected thought-leaders.