Learning and Development: Your Opportunities to Develop
This article will take approximately 2 minutes to read
Published 21 Nov 2023 in Colleagues
Welcome to November’s update from the Learning and Development team. This month, Claire McCarthy, Leadership and Career Solutions Lead shares the second article in our Career Series.
Imposter Syndrome
You might not have heard of Imposter Syndrome, but the likelihood that you’ve experienced this in your working life is high, and you’re not alone! Serena Williams, David Bowie, Lady Gaga, Tom Hanks and Emma Watson have all shared their experience of Imposter Syndrome. In fact, research suggests that nearly 70% of us will suffer from self-doubt and simply feel like we don’t belong at some point in our careers. It’s easy to feel that we don’t measure up or deserve some of the praise we receive for our successes, even when we’ve worked really hard to achieve them.
In an interview with the New York Times, Howard Schultz, former Chairman and CEO of Starbucks, said; “Very few people, whether you’ve been in that job before or not, get into the seat and believe today that that they are now qualified to be the CEO. They’re not going to tell you that, but it’s true.”
At The Midcounties Co-operative, we are passionate about colleagues reaching their full potential and realising their career ambitions. Imposter syndrome is a significant barrier to growing our individual and collective capabilities. So, what can we do about it? Simply speaking, we need to acknowledge the elephant in the room, talk about how we feel, encourage feedback, and support each other to reframe our thoughts.
Imposter syndrome might be stopping you from sharing your ideas, putting yourself forward for a project or taking steps into a different area of the business, but remember, statistically speaking, it’s highly likely that your colleagues, or your line manager, are experiencing similar hindering thoughts.
One of the main definers of imposter syndrome is a gap in how you perceive your own competence compared to how competent you actually are.
Book a Career or Development Check in
Take positive action and book a Career or Development Check In with your line manager today using this blog as a conversation starter. Share your vulnerability and seek feedback that might help dispel some of your fears and work with your line manager to shape a personal development plan that addresses skills and knowledge gaps where there is a genuine need for this.
You can find the details of Development/Career Check-Ins here.
For further information on Imposter Syndrome, you might find this podcast interviewing Shellye Archambeau (former Silicon Valley CEO) of interest.
Questions?
If you have any questions about any of our L&D programmes, please get in touch with the L&D team at societylearningdevelopment@midcounties.coop