Believing you are not as competent as others think you are, or that you don’t deserve your success, is a common experience in the UK workforce. How should OSH professionals manage these lingering doubts?
Gary Latta CFIOSH, health and safety business partner at Lloyds Banking Group, has experienced impostor syndrome a few times during his career. ‘My last episode was when I did my viva for my PhD,’ he says. ‘I’d written it, got good feedback and I kept thinking, “I can’t have a PhD. I left school when I finished my GCSEs.”’
His first experience of impostor syndrome came years earlier when, following a promotion, he found himself sitting in a meeting with professionals a management level above him. ‘I remember sitting in the office and thinking, “What have I done? I’m new to this. I’m going to fail.”’
Gary’s feelings were accompanied by the sense of ‘fight or flight’ – a release of adrenaline that raises the heart rate and increases nervousness. He also talks about ‘red haze’, the idea that you’re not really in the moment but are trying to keep one step ahead. These feelings are also linked with the release of the hormone cortisol, which can have long-term implications for health.
It is suggested that 80% of men and 90% of women experience impostor syndrome at work, but only about 25% of them are aware of it (HR News, 2021). ‘Possibly 25% to 30% of high achievers may suffer from impostor syndrome, but around 70% of adults may experience impostor syndrome at some point in their lives,’ says Dr Lynda Shaw, neuroscientist, business psychologist and change specialist.
Case study: ‘I felt I had no positive impact’
Adam Gawne GradIOSH, health and safety officer at Newcastle College, knew that starting a new career after 10 years in the higher education sector might make him feel unsure of himself. ‘However, impostor syndrome came out of the blue. I felt completely out of my depth and that I wasn’t able to do the job I have with the knowledge, skills and experiences I had,’ he says.
Judging himself harshly and researching topics because others were talking about them, Adam began comparing himself with others and questioning his own ability. ‘I started to struggle to communicate these feelings and became withdrawn from those I work with because I didn’t want to risk being found out,’ he says.
Adam began to recognise that he had the right skills to do the job, having demonstrated this in his job interview and given the simple fact he was successfully doing it. ‘It was important to change my mind to view impostor syndrome as a potential warning light to myself that there were gaps in my experience and that I needed to think about these as opportunities to develop myself,’ he says.
‘However, I also needed to give myself credit that these things will take time and my situation won’t always allow me to be the most up-to-date on everything. Part of getting over the impostor syndrome is recognising that many of my peers aren’t in the same situation – some had been in the profession for many more years, their home life isn’t the same and they are on their own journey. I needed to think about who I was.’
Being part of the IOSH Future Leaders Steering Group also helped Adam to discuss topics and issues with others, realising he had a lot in common with them.
Impact on self-esteem
‘Impostor syndrome affects our self-esteem and we can become drained by feelings of self-doubt,’ she adds. ‘If you suffer from impostor syndrome, you may think you only got your job through luck and not because of your experience, credentials or expertise. We reject praise, downplay achievements and may struggle to make tough and unpopular decisions due to fear.’
The impact on mental health and wellbeing can cause individuals to isolate themselves, or to work excessively because they feel they need to prove themselves more than others. ‘This can then fuel a self-fulfilling prophecy of failure,’ Lynda adds. ‘Impostor syndrome also affects the organisation negatively because it can cause absenteeism, project setbacks, poor workplace relationships, ineffective communication, a lack of diversity and inclusion, and decrease creativity and innovation.’
Kieran Williams CMIOSH, head of health and safety at Bryanston School in Dorset, said his experience of impostor syndrome meant he would stay quiet in meetings and not raise suggestions. He says: ‘My contributions were minimal – I’d follow instructions instead of provide them.’
He’d also take work home with him and spend his evening sitting on the sofa and worrying about work. ‘A few sleepless nights, the occasional worried drive into work in the mornings. The tension, aches and stress led to unproductivity and social anxiety at work and home,’ he says.
How to: Channel stress into a positive reaction
- Cardiovascular exercise
- Lowering stress levels by understanding your triggers for stress – for example, removing yourself from stressful situations
- A good diet that includes things like bananas and pears, dark chocolate and probiotics
- Get the right amount of good-quality sleep
- Relaxation techniques such as meditation and mindfulness
- Learning to unwind with music or a good book
- Laughing and having fun
- Supplements, such as fish oil
- Limiting caffeine and alcohol consumption
- Short breaths will increase adrenaline, but deep breathing exercises will regulate adrenaline levels
- Avoid blue light and loud music before bedtime.
Underlying causes
First outlined by psychologists more than 40 years ago, impostor syndrome was originally thought to apply to mostly high-achieving women who strove for impossible perfectionism (Clance and Imes, 1978). ‘Today it is recognised that you are more likely to suffer from impostor syndrome if you have low confidence, perfectionism tendencies, do not feel fully included or have mental health symptoms, such as anxiety,’ says Lynda. ‘Impostor syndrome can affect anyone regardless of gender, job, age or social status.’
Certain factors might contribute to impostor syndrome, including upbringing and social anxiety. A family that highly values achievement or parents that alternative between praise and criticism could be triggers, and starting a new role can also trigger impostor syndrome (Cuncic, 2021). There is also a suggestion that women, especially women of colour, and people from the LGBTQ+ community are more likely to experience impostor syndrome because of systemic oppression in the workplace that leaves the impression that they are undeserving of success, while stereotyping and a lack of representation of people like them at work can make people doubt themselves (Nance-Nash, 2020).
However, an article earlier this year suggested that the concept of impostor syndrome puts the blame on individuals, without taking into account systemic racism, sexism and classism (Tulshyan and Burey, 2021). ‘Impostor syndrome directs our view toward fixing women at work instead of fixing the places where women work,’ it reads.
Whatever the cause, workplace stress – which often accompanies impostor syndrome – has increased in the UK. Latest figures show that 828,000 workers were reported as suffering from work-related stress, depression or anxiety and that 17.9 million working days were lost in 2019-20 as a result (GB Health and Safety Executive (HSE), 2020). This is up from 595,000 workers with the same conditions and 15.4 million days lost in 2017-18 (HSE, 2019).
'Impostor syndrome puts the blame on individuals without taking into account systemic racism, sexism and classism'
‘When you are stressed, your immune system is suppressed and you are more susceptible to illness,’ says Neil Shah, chief de-stressing officer at the Stress Management Society. ‘Cortisol and adrenaline cause a chain reaction and physiological changes that cause your heart to beat harder, your breathing to change and your muscles to become more energised. They take oxygenated blood from superfluous systems (those not required for immediate survival, such as higher brain functions or digestive systems) and direct them to our arms, legs, hands and feet. This means higher brain function might diminish when we have increased cortisol.
‘Every situation we face in life that takes us slightly outside our comfort zone creates stress,’ Neil says, explaining that in some situations too much adrenaline is produced and not used effectively. ‘When people are mentally and emotionally compromised, that leads to accidents, injuries and, sadly, fatalities. If there is pressure you can channel it and use it to do better, to ensure we have got the right training, education, resources and support in place to equip people.’
What can individuals do?
But we need stress. ‘Without it, you would never be able to get anything done; you’d not produce any reports, or deliver that workshop. As a football team steps onto a pitch, they experience stress,’ Neil explains. ‘The right amount of adrenaline can create a “performance zone”, and in a football sense this would be when everyone is working together, enjoying what they are doing, [and] punching above their weight.’
The same applies in an OSH context, for example when presenting at a board meeting or delivering training. And there are ways to turn that stress into something positive by taking a person-centred approach.
Harvard professor Alison Wood Brooks has examined ways people cope with pre-performance anxiety in relation to karaoke singing, public speaking and mathematical performance (Brooks, 2013). She found that people who reappraised their anxiety as excitement, rather than calming down, performed better. Participants used self-talk or simple messages to change their mindset, including ‘I feel anxious’, ‘I feel calm’ or ‘I feel excited’. ‘The way we verbalise and think about our feelings helps to construct the way we actually feel,’ Alison writes.
Kieran recovered from impostor syndrome through continuing professional development (CPD) and sharing ideas with his peers. ‘When I look back through my CPD, I can remind myself just how far I’ve come,’ he says. ‘Reflecting on every little step on my journey has helped me to reinforce the foundations where cracks in self-belief appeared. Being part of a body like IOSH allows you to share ideas and practices. Seeking and sharing advice is highly valuable.’
Gary sought out mentors who could help him learn more and build up relationships that were helpful in large meetings. ‘Now I try and tell myself to cut myself some slack when I start to get that feeling. You are new to it, you are learning different terminology, different business, different people. For me, I think it always subsides when you get that first bit of success – it evaporates when you establish yourself.’
What can OSH professionals and organisations do?
Gary also employs the tools he has as an OSH professional to help with his own feelings of impostor syndrome: risk-assessing potential situations which might cause the problem, SMART objectives to achieve goals, effective listening to other parts of the organisation. ‘You have got to build your influencing skills as a practitioner,’ he says.
Opening up the discussion about impostor syndrome to all employees will provide a safe space and support.
‘When we’re reacting to many different things at once, it can be difficult to reflect on ourselves,’ says Adam Gawne GradIOSH, health and safety officer at Newcastle College.
‘It is important that where there are any particular issues with feelings of skills or knowledge, employees should be supported through development and given space to build up their confidence,’ he adds.
Kieran believes OSH professionals and organisations can help employees manage impostor syndrome by trying not to create competition between employees, valuing mental health and empowering the team. ‘Inclusion and diversity help reduce impostor syndrome, promote respect and develop creative thinking,’ he adds.
As Adam says: ‘Impostor syndrome, although felt individually, is a collective issue and many will face it – regardless of the role or profession. It is important that impostor syndrome is really made aware of and is central to discussions with managers and within teams so that it isn’t seen as a weakness, but a strength to build on.’
Image credit | Marysia Machulska
Resource
IOSH stress toolkit: bit.ly/work-related-stress-toolkit
References
Brooks AW. (2014) Get excited: reappraising pre-performance anxiety as excitement. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General 143(3): 1144-58.
Clance PR, Imes SA. (1978) The imposter phenomenon in high achieving women: Dynamics and therapeutic intervention. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research & Practice 15(3): 241–47.
Cuncic A. (2021) What is imposter syndrome?. Verywell Mind. See: www.verywellmind.com/imposter-syndrome-and-social-anxiety-disorder-4156469 (accessed 26 October 2021).
Health and Safety Executive. (2018) Work related stress depression or anxiety statistics in Great Britain, 2018. See: greeningconsultants.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/HSE-Stats-2018.pdf (accessed 26 October 2021).
Health and Safety Executive. (2020) Work-related stress, anxiety or depression statistics in Great Britain, 2020. See: www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/causdis/stress.pdf (accessed 26 October 2021).
HR News. (2021) 85% British workers suffer from imposter syndrome. See: hrnews.co.uk/85-british-workers-suffer-from-imposter-syndrome/ (accessed 26 October 2021).
Nance-Nash S. (2020) Why imposter syndrome hits women and women of colour harder. BBC. See: www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20200724-why-imposter-syndrome-hits-women-and-women-of-colour-harder (accessed 26 October 2021).
Tulshyan R, Burey JA. (2021) Stop telling women they have imposter syndrome. Harvard Business Review. See: hbr.org/2021/02/stop-telling-women-they-have-imposter-syndrome (accessed 26 October 2021).
