Thank you @dalanMendonca for the amazing session and addressing one of the most talked-about issues in the PM community. Dalan spoke about the Imposter syndrome & gave tips to overcome it.
A thread on key highlights of the session🧵 -
A thread on key highlights of the session🧵 -
What is imposter syndrome?🤔
- The fear of not belonging and self - doubt.
- Feels like you are an outsider trying to fit in
- Feeling like a stranger, it typically occurs when you move to a new org & everything is different from what you expected
- The fear of not belonging and self - doubt.
- Feels like you are an outsider trying to fit in
- Feeling like a stranger, it typically occurs when you move to a new org & everything is different from what you expected
How did Dalan experience imposter syndrome?
- Experienced this during a career transition.
- Realization of knowledge gap
- Personal biases & practices from the previous organization didn't fit with the new organization
- Experienced this during a career transition.
- Realization of knowledge gap
- Personal biases & practices from the previous organization didn't fit with the new organization
How to overcome imposter syndrome??
- Life begins outside your comfort zone!
- Decision zero : Decide if you want to stay & play the game? whether the trade-off is worth it or not?
- Life begins outside your comfort zone!
- Decision zero : Decide if you want to stay & play the game? whether the trade-off is worth it or not?
Step 1 - Before you slay your fear, find a comforting space.
- Seek solace, talk to your loved ones, friends, family about your work problems. Have people who would be there for you. Not intellectually but rather as people who empathize and comfort you.
- Get productive outlets
- Seek solace, talk to your loved ones, friends, family about your work problems. Have people who would be there for you. Not intellectually but rather as people who empathize and comfort you.
- Get productive outlets
Step 2 - Peer baseline your struggles
- Separate actual vs perceived issues
- Reach out to people in your org & find out if they have been through the same
- Don't indulge in self-blame and try to find out the actual issue
- Separate actual vs perceived issues
- Reach out to people in your org & find out if they have been through the same
- Don't indulge in self-blame and try to find out the actual issue
Step 3 - Prepare yourself mentally
- Acknowledge the slog.
- Acknowledge the fog: You don't know what you don't know, it's ALRIGHT, it's okay to be confused.
- While going through the struggle, it might feel overwhelming but you must understand that it's a learning opportunity.
- Acknowledge the slog.
- Acknowledge the fog: You don't know what you don't know, it's ALRIGHT, it's okay to be confused.
- While going through the struggle, it might feel overwhelming but you must understand that it's a learning opportunity.
Step 4 - Start chipping away at problems!
- Scope down the steps - It's okay to be overwhelmed when you are doing this. Being inactive is a big NO-NO.
- Focus on your strengths
- Keep narrow goals
- Work on achieving small goals like coming better prepared to a meeting✌️🏾
- Scope down the steps - It's okay to be overwhelmed when you are doing this. Being inactive is a big NO-NO.
- Focus on your strengths
- Keep narrow goals
- Work on achieving small goals like coming better prepared to a meeting✌️🏾
Step 5 - Converge perception, vision & reality
- Seek help & feedback (Is this doc ok? is that process ok? did I handle this situation fine?)
- Invest in extra learning.
- Check your progress against goals - Abandon what's not working, change the goal post
- Cherish small wins
- Seek help & feedback (Is this doc ok? is that process ok? did I handle this situation fine?)
- Invest in extra learning.
- Check your progress against goals - Abandon what's not working, change the goal post
- Cherish small wins
When do I know I don't have the imposter syndrome?
- Overcoming Imposter Syndrome is about changing your mindset.👍🏾
- In the long term, broaden your identity beyond your work. Don't let work be the only source defining your identity
- Overcoming Imposter Syndrome is about changing your mindset.👍🏾
- In the long term, broaden your identity beyond your work. Don't let work be the only source defining your identity
*Bonus*
Dealing with imposter syndrome when you are just starting as a PM :
- Acquire context, about users, org, business, processes, people
- Be extremely curious🤔
- Ship a tiny feature🚀
- Get to know who the decision-makers are
- Create mental insights in the first week.
Dealing with imposter syndrome when you are just starting as a PM :
- Acquire context, about users, org, business, processes, people
- Be extremely curious🤔
- Ship a tiny feature🚀
- Get to know who the decision-makers are
- Create mental insights in the first week.
For those of you who missed the session, the recording is available on our YouTube channel. Watch it here -
