53 www.ceotodaymagazine.com vision & strategy 6. Face it Just do it. Just do it and see what happens. If you have a fear of flying, there are courses available to you to help you overcome your phobia, but I should warn you that of all the courses I’ve looked at, the final exercise in the workshop is always the same: they make you go on a short flight. Exposure therapy is one of the best techniques out there to help tackle deep-rooted anxieties and it’s the same when it comes to facing up to your imposter syndrome. By forcing yourself to do the very thing you’re losing sleep over, you’ll come to learn that it’s not quite as bad as you built it up to be. It’s a bit like the moment in the old ScoobyDoo cartoons when they finally catch the monster, pull off the mask and it turns out it was only the janitor after all. The unknown factor is always the scariest thing, so stop running from the monster, because once you’ve had that final face-off, you’ll realise there was nothing to worry about. For workplace wellness expert Jen Devonshire, dealing with your ImposterMonster is both better for you and better for business, and encourages CEOs to support in instilling this work ethic throughout the organisation: “Helping employees suffering from imposter syndrome makes good business sense as it impedes the performance of the individual and their team. Imposters tend to be the employees who are the most conscientious and hardworking, so it is important for them to feel supported and to help them reach their potential. It is often difficult for employees to bring up such conversations and therefore it is important for managers and bosses to start these conversations themselves and create a culture where themanagement demonstrate openness and understanding.” How those at senior level can help Imposter Syndrome sufferers within the business: Providing regular feedback to employees can be hugely beneficial for reducing the experience of imposter syndrome. Give specifics so that employees can’t discount this as the boss ‘just being nice’ or ‘feeling like they have to say something good’. You could also encourage staff to focus on the process rather than just the outcome and break down big goals into weekly smaller ones so that their achievement can reinforce the fact that they are not an imposter. Youmight also assign a mentor to these employees, as this can be extremely beneficial. Imposter syndrome develops because sufferers don’t feel that they deserve to have reached the role that they are in. A mentor from a similar demographic can help build their confidence as they can turn to them during times when they are struggling so that they feel supported and can be open about their imposter feelings so they can work together to dispute the legitimacy of these beliefs. For CEOs seeking professional support specifically in dealing with Imposter Syndrome, or professional public speaking training, Ashfield and Devonshire offer the following courses and training: Pause2Perform offers both a group workshop designed to help managers and employees of the company overcome their imposter syndrome. This workshop goes into detail about each of the different types of imposter syndrome and the different strategies that can be adopted to help overcome these. Jenny also provides tailormade sessions which are delivered 1-1, these sessions are more appropriate for CEOs. As a major tenet of imposter syndrome is the inability to internalise success, participants will be taken through reattribution training based on the principles of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) helping participants question their limiting beliefs and help them to own their success. Speak2Impact specialise in working with clients to determine their specific needs and most importantly, delivering actual, visible results. Whether that be nailing a big speech, improving your presence, or tackling confidence concerns, Speak2Impact will get to the crux of the issue and suggest an approach that will deliver the results you need. Susie’s clients learn, train, and perform before being assessed on their progress. Promising fast results, soaring confidence and your professional profile rising in a short space of time, Speak2Impact give you the tools and formulas to find your own unique style that will make public speaking bearable...even enjoyable. Offering individual coaching and workshops for groups and teams, speech, keynote, and director-level coaching. Visit Contact Us - Speak2Impact to book a FREE 30-minute 121 session.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy Mjk3Mzkz