Can I Just Do Good Enough and Not Exceed Expectations?

55sec Snip

00:00

Play full episode

Key takeaways

Transcript

Episode notes

Companies often benefit from overworking and overperforming employees, getting two or three people for the price of one
There is a system in place that encourages this level of overworking and overperforming, including ties to compensation and bonus structures
Employees are often required to constantly exceed expectations to receive additional compensation, discouraging a focus on good enough

Do you ever feel like a phony? Like you’re not really qualified for the job you’re doing, despite your achievements? Those are signs of the impostor phenomenon, also called impostor syndrome. Dr. Lisa Orbé-Austin, a counseling psychologist and career coach in New York City, and Dr. Kevin Cokley, a University of Texas at Austin psychology professor who studies the impostor phenomenon among ethnic minority students, discuss where impostor feelings come from, the repercussions they can have in people’s lives, and what you can do to address imposter feelings.