Breaking Up with Perfectionism
Worklife with Adam Grant
Perfectionists are good at formulaic tasks (clear metric) but struggle with uncertainty
Perfectionism can predict higher performance in school but not in work. In school, it can spur high performance on formulaic tasks with clear metrics. However, in work where there are rarely definitive answers, perfectionists struggle due to the uncertainty and complexity of tasks. As individuals age and performance becomes subjective, perfectionists find it challenging as unknown outcomes become daunting and failure threatens their sense of self-worth and validation from others.
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