Basima Tewfik, Assistant Professor at MIT Sloan, dives into the unexpected silver linings of impostor syndrome and anxiety in the workplace. She reveals how these feelings can actually enhance creativity and foster professional growth. Tewfik highlights the 'banana exercise' from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy as a tool for overcoming self-doubt. She also discusses the complex interplay between neuroticism and personal success, challenging the stigma surrounding these emotions and emphasizing their potential as motivational catalysts.
Negative labels like impostor syndrome can paradoxically enhance interpersonal effectiveness and creative problem-solving in workplace settings.
Reframing traits such as anxiety and neuroticism allows individuals to recognize their adaptability and unique strengths in dynamic work environments.
Deep dives
Redefining Negative Traits as Positives
Perceptions of negative personality traits, such as anxiety and neuroticism, can be reframed as potential advantages in the workplace. Research indicates that individuals often label themselves as 'neurotic' when they may in fact exhibit emotional stability and unique functional abilities. For instance, neurotic individuals may excel in rapidly changing work environments due to their adaptability and comfort with emotional variability. Recognizing these traits as assets rather than deficiencies allows for a more balanced understanding of personal characteristics.
The Role of Imposter Thoughts
Workplace imposter thoughts, commonly viewed as detrimental, can actually signal perceived competence and strength among employees. Those experiencing these feelings might believe others overestimate their abilities, which paradoxically, can lead to greater interpersonal effectiveness. Studies have shown that employees reporting frequent imposter thoughts are often rated as more socially skilled, suggesting that this anxiety pushes them to be more other-oriented and attentive to their colleagues. This counters the assumption that imposter thoughts indicate a lack of capability, highlighting a situational response to external expectations.
The Impact of Experience and Age on Imposter Feelings
As individuals gain experience and age, the frequency of workplace imposter thoughts typically declines. This shift can stem from increased competence in one's role, resulting in less exposure to new, challenging opportunities that previously triggered feelings of inadequacy. Moreover, maturity often brings about a greater indifference to others' perceptions, relieving some pressure that contributes to imposter feelings. Thus, navigating the workspace becomes less about self-doubt and more about recognizing one's growth and achieving competence over time.
Creative Advantages of Anxiety and Imposter Thoughts
Experiencing anxiety and imposter thoughts can enhance creativity, particularly in high-pressure situations. Research involving comedians revealed that those who were prompted to feel imposter thoughts demonstrated greater creativity in problem-solving tasks, ostensibly motivated by a desire to meet expectations. Consequently, the presence of anxiety may drive individuals to explore innovative solutions rather than succumb to complacency. This illustrates that under certain circumstances, feelings typically viewed as negative can lead to productive and creative outcomes.
It turns out, a lot of our beliefs about how we are performing at work - and how we choose to label that performance - can negatively impact our jobs and our mental health. Basima Tewfik is an Assistant Professor of Work and Organization Studies at the MIT Sloan School of Management, who looks deeply at our social behaviors and psychology at work. And she’s found that labels like anxious, neurotic, and imposter syndrome can actually be really detrimental to our success. Even impostor feelings, in her research, can lead to positive outcomes at work. Tewfik thinks of each like a double edged sword and explains how her research focuses on the positive side of phenomena like these.
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