Career Corner – Do I measure up?

I LOVE the company I work for. I believe in our product. What we do for our customers changes the way they do business.  I love the team I get to work with every day. They are all extremely smart, down to earth people who are always willing to lend a helping hand for anything you need. I have leaders who actually give a damn and ask me questions like, “So what is it that you want to do? Do you feel comfortable doing this? Can you help out with this project, do you have the bandwidth?” That is an awesome culture to be in when building a career! Leaders and peers making you feel like you are so capable to achieve.

But what happens when you suffer from the Impostor Syndrome? Impostor Syndrome (also known as impostor phenomenon or fraud syndrome) is a concept describing high-achieving individuals who are marked by an inability to internalize their accomplishments and a persistent fear of being exposed as a “fraud”. I have a serious case. I feel like I don’t belong here. I’m not as smart as these other people are…hell I don’t believe I’m as smart as they think I am!

I mentioned this at dinner one night with some colleagues (who happen to be women of color), and they all looked at me like I’d told them I was flying to the moon. Each of these ladies were confident, smart, leaders in our organization and I still didn’t feel that my skills and so-called talents held a candle to their accomplishments! After the shock died down, they offered me some great advice and things to remember.

• You said yes to their offer, but more importantly they chose YOU! You are in that seat for a reason, you deserve to be there. If you didn’t bring value, you wouldn’t be there. This is an extremely important lesson for women in general and also black people as a whole. In this space now where women are fighting for equal pay and equal opportunity and also in 2017, the old ‘Black Tax’ is still prevalent. We have been conditioned to thinking that we are to be grateful for things that are given to us, but the fact is that you worked your ass off, produced great results, and you earned that spot. So walk in that confidence!
• Don’t let your wins go unnoticed! When you accomplish something that has invoked positive change or improved life for someone, brag about it! There is never a time to be modest about your accomplishments. People who have the power to influence, they are watching and listening. If you can’t speak up for yourself, don’t you dare think someone else will.

As I was driving home, I thought to myself, ‘There is some truth to that!’ My leaders are always complimenting on how big of an impact I’ve made on the team. They offer me stretch opportunities because they truly believe that I can get it done! People are constantly thanking me for resolving a problem and how good my responsiveness is. I think about myself in a totally different way now. In addition to the advice given to me, here are some things that help me walk the walk and talk the talk daily:

• Dress the part: When you look good, you feel good, you preform better, and you are more likely to be successful. When you put effort into what your outer appearance is, people are more likely to notice and take you more serious. Appearance isn’t everything, but it makes a hell of a difference…ask Andrea from The Devil Wears Prada!  😉
• Speak up! When you have an idea or an POV say it. In the same vein, speak purposefully. No one likes a chatter box so when you have something to say make sure it’s adding value to the conversation, not a distraction. Even if it’s not received, you have to let people know you have a voice and they just might start listening.
• Listen and watch. People love to talk about themselves and the things they love. Let them! They will tell you a lot without you having to do much work. This is a great way to start building relationships. There is also a lot to learn just by observing people. I love to people watch and it has been a beneficial tool for me. It helps me manage relationships at work and otherwise. You can learn about what people value, their strengths/weaknesses, and what irks them just by watching. People are talking all the time through body language and facial expressions,  you just have to pay attention!
• Be honest: When someone asks your opinion, they are asking because they trust you to tell them the truth. Be professional, but there is no need to give a PC answer. Also, If you don’t know something, be humble enough to ask for help or take the initiative to get the training needed for something. There is nothing worse than agreeing to take on a task and you know you don’t have the skills to deliver it the best way possible.

I truly believe that we are in control of our destiny. You have the power to write your own story. If you want something, it’s not going to be handed to you, you have to go get it! Maybe the question isn’t, whether I measuring up but am I making an impact and carving a path to my definition of success? I hope this has encouraged and inspired you in some way. Share this post with anyone who needs it! In the comments below tell me what advice you have been given that has helped you be successful at work or life in general.