Own Your Success

and Dump That Imposter!

February 25, 2016

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Agenda• What is imposter syndrome?• How can it impact our work as evaluators?

Scenarios• Does it matter?

Competencies for Canadian Evaluation Practice• What can we do about it?

Discussion Tools, resources, further reading

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What is imposter syndrome?• Definition• How imposter syndrome can manifest• Examples from evaluators

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Definition A collection of feelings of inadequacy that

persist even in the face of information that indicates that the opposite is true.

A psychological phenomenon that stops people from internalizing their accomplishments – often to such an extent that they will attribute their success entirely to luck, circumstances or simple hard work rather than to

genuine ability.

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What are the signs?Experienced internally as feelings… • Discomfort / anxiousness when people praise you,

acknowledge your accomplishments• You feel you don’t deserve to be recognized• Chronic self-doubt• You feel you are not really successful, competent • Others are more skilled / knowledgeable

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Common feelings / thoughts…

"I feel like a fake." "My

colleagues are going to

find out I don't really

belong here.”“Human

resources made a mistake

hiring me."

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The important qualifier…Your have objective evidence that you are succeeding:• Top marks in your class• Good performance reviews• Strong promotion history

…and yet you feel like you are faking it and at any moment you will be revealed as a fraud / an imposter

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General categories• Feeling like a fake - belief that you do not deserve

success or your professional position • Fear of being found out, exposed, discovered, unmasked

• Attributing success to luck• Reasoning that luck or other external factors are the

cause of your success

• Downplaying / discounting success• Belittling your achievements and disbelieving the praise

offered by others

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One size does not fit all…Not everyone experiences the syndrome the same way.

You may identify with some imposter feelings and situations but not others.

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The good news is… you’re not alone!• About 70% of people studied experience the

syndrome at one point or another in their lives• High achievers are most likely to suffer the most

from the syndrome• Men and women experience the syndrome

differently…• Women tend to work harder to prove

themselves• Men tend to avoid situations where their

weaknesses can be exposed

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People from all walks of life / all professions experience the syndrome

Dr. Margaret ChanDirector General WHO

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Contributing factors…• Some research indicates that parental

overprotection or lack of parental care / support can result in a greater likelihood of developing the syndrome• Having non-supportive friends can also contribute

to the syndrome surfacing• Teachers and coaches can also be an influencing

factor

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The link between imposter syndrome and success…

What I think other people know

• Imposter feelings relate to an inability to internalize past and current success• Tendency to over internalize

failure• Feelings of pressure not to

fail and fear of being ‘found out’ lead to inability to enjoy / internalize success

What I know

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Why It Matters• Potential impacts on our work• Ultimately impacts our communities /

stakeholders• Competencies for Canadian Evaluation

Practice

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Competencies for Canadian Evaluators• Able to speak truth to power• Clarify that data are not negotiable• Ensure criteria for interpretation of

findings are carefully described

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Competencies for Canadian Evaluators• Provide advice (initiatives, monitoring,

programs, etc.)• Mentor colleagues• Share/present knowledge

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Competencies for Canadian Evaluators• Cultivate a disposition that reflects self-

confidence, equilibrium and poise• Non-defensive acceptance of feedback

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Competencies for Canadian Evaluators• Accurately assess extent/type of

knowledge needed• Recognize competency limits and

engage others when exceeded• Assess the degree of fit between the

context and the evaluator’s expertise• Select teams that extend the

evaluator’s personal credibility

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What We Can Do About It• Group discussion:• Have you faced the imposter? Context

and impact? Result?• What has worked for you? Tools,

strategies, etc.• Tips for different contexts – academic,

internal evaluators, evaluation consultants

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What We Can Do About It• Self-reflection• Feedback – peers, supervisors, clients,

etc.• Informal professional/peer support• Communities of practice• Mentoring• CES professional mentoring?

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Self reflection exercises…• Own your success

• Accept that you have had a major role in your successes – you contributed to where you are… you said ‘yes’ when you could have said ‘no’.

• Record / document the nice things that people say about you – revisit the list as needed. • Understand your value - record your achievements – your

personal victory list – revisit the list as needed. • Combat negative self-talk… don’t substitute one criticism

with another (e.g. I will not criticize myself anymore), change the topic and shift your focus to one of your strengths / successes

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Self reflection exercises cont…• Stop comparing yourself to other ‘successful’ people –

respect you own experience and achievements – define your own notion of success.• Speak up, vocalize “It’s Impostor Syndrome” – face

down the imposter by naming it.• Remind yourself that no one bats a thousand –

everyone strikes out at some point, being wrong does not make you a failure or fraud.• Speak to what you know, not what you think or imagine

others expect you to know – avoid bulls**ting and admit it when you don’t have the answer, but you can find it.

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Thoughts? Further action?

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Next Time at Evaluation Café!• Toward Common Ground is a collaborative project

with 13 local organizations partnering to strengthen the way they collaborate; plan; gather, use and share local data and information; understand and talk about our community’s needs; seize opportunities to take strategic collective action and understand collective impact. At our next session you will have an opportunity to learn more about TCG and to share your thoughts and ideas on the project.