Asian woman with headache working on a laptop and analyzing financial charts on the table
As a manager, you may have a high achiever in your team that is held back for some reason. They feel anxious and dubious of their skills, no matter how much you praise their work, and may even seem too needy. Are they also a minority? Bingo. They may be suffering from imposter syndrome.
Despite companies' efforts to improve psychological safety, diversity and inclusion, 70% of employees experience imposter syndrome (also called impostor syndrome) at least once. As a coach, I see it mostly in higher achievers, especially if they are part of a minority: immigrants, women, black, Indian, Hispanic, or sometimes even people that move to a different state.
It's sometimes a self-fulfilling prophecy. As managers notice the employee's struggles, they hold them back, delaying promotions or highlighting areas for improvement. When employees need support, their managers turn their biggest fears into reality. Ultimately, the employee withdraws, quits, or leaves the company.
To help them become their best version, managers need to be aware of this feeling and act in a way that supports the employee to overcome this inner barrier to career development.
7 ways to support employees with imposter syndrome
Morela Hernandez and Christina Lacerenza recommend in their MIT article the following steps:
1) Talk about it
Organize one-on-one coaching sessions with the employee to talk about what it is. More than telling them what to do, you may be more successful asking them what they need or how they see themselves.
2) Reframe "syndrome" as "thoughts".
Imposter syndrome is not a psychological diagnosis or an incurable disease. Some people suffer from it all their lives, and others only experience it in certain moments, but it is just about thoughts of being a failure. Employees can start changing patterns by being aware of these thoughts and why they have them. Managers can also be more aware of how to reduce the triggers. The study recommends, “An action plan, including concrete steps like seeking professional coaching, might be helpful to have in place for when triggers occur.”
3) Challenge and then reframe imposter thoughts.
Understand that they are thoughts, not facts, and remind the employee that they are not an accurate representation of competence, ability, or knowledge. Instead, tell them how you see them, how competent you think they are and highlight their strengths.
4) Help with career planning.
Don’t believe them immediately when they say they don’t want a promotion or are not ready for the project. It may just be part of the lack of confidence driven by the impostor syndrome that helps them to define what they want to accomplish and plan together what they need to do to achieve it. Taking baby steps will help them focus on what they can do more than what they lack.
5) Challenge stereotypes about what constitutes competence.
Ph.D. Lisa and Richard Orbé-Austin say in their book “Own your greatness” that “impostor syndrome becomes harder to cope with when the stereotypes about your cultural group reinforce the notion that you are not “good enough.”When they don’t get promoted, that reinforces their feelings of incompetence and lack of validation from others. Demonstrate with examples that anyone, regardless of background, age or culture, can grow in the company.
6) Develop psychological safety in your work environment.
In an environment where employees are ranked, some are called “stars,” or competition is celebrated. They work better in collaborative environments. Foster a culture that does not promote perfectionism, working long hours, or being the best.
7) Check your bias when allocating rewards and assignments.
Pay attention to who you promote, assign bonuses or distribute tasks. Studies show that minorities are being paid less than their counterparts or are not given enough opportunities. Trust that they can do well despite their fears, so do not be afraid to promote them or give them challenging assignments.
Imposter syndrome may be seen as an “employee issue,” but in most cases, it is driven by company culture and accepted daily norms and behaviors. Therefore, as a manager, try to look beyond the employee, observe the context and identify ways to make the workplace less imposter syndrome prone.
