Fraud Alert: How to Silence Your Inner Imposter
By Katie Neal for PRNews
Let’s be honest. Women have been told they’re not good enough for their entire lives. They’re expected to juggle countless roles, maintain impossible standards, break glass ceilings that still hover, and all while earning less than men who hold similar roles.
It doesn’t take a communications genius to understand that if someone hears a message enough times, they’re likely to internalize it and eventually believe it. Even highly skilled and experienced PR pros can often fall into this trap.
It’s no wonder that a recent survey by PushFar found four out of five PR and marketing professionals—the majority of whom happen to be women—have experienced imposter syndrome in the workplace. Characterized by persistent feelings of inadequacy, fraud or self-doubt when it comes to one’s successes and accomplishments, imposter syndrome is often associated with high-performing individuals.
Even 20-plus years into a successful PR career, I admit that I still struggle with imposter phenomenon, as it’s also called. The weird thing is, I would never talk to my friends, colleagues or clients in the same critical, judgmental and unforgiving voice that lives inside my head. I would not repeatedly question whether they truly deserve the accolades they received, the promotion they asked for, the speaking opportunity they were accepted for, or the raise they got. And, I certainly wouldn’t question whether they were good enough when all evidence suggests they are actually freaking incredible.
Breaking the Imposter Syndrome Cycle
Imposter syndrome is highly personal. Those who struggle with it may even sabotage their careers by obsessing over unimportant details, withdrawing from others, or burning out. If you, too, are a communications professional who experiences imposter phenomenon, the good news is that you have the power to break the cycle of being so hard on yourself.