Thanks to some gentle encouragement from a few kind readers, I have come to understand that last week’s post about imposter syndrome did not address important contextual factors – most notably how it disproportionately impacts women and marginalized identities in the workplace. I would like to offer my apologies and use this week’s post as an opportunity to explore and expand on the topic with you.
Before I do, I encourage you to read (as I have) this Harvard Business Review article that speaks much more intelligently than I could on the ways organizational systems, structures and even individuals often create and/or reinforce the feeling of being an imposter in the workplace for historically marginalized identities.
Last week I shared strategies to help individuals navigate the feeling of imposter syndrome and the tips I discussed may accomplish that for some. However, after my own reflection and education on the topic, by not acknowledging the historical and systemic nature of imposter syndrome (and, full disclosure, it being written by someone who experiences multiple privileged identity locations that are generally shared by those who create the organizational systems and structures), the post was inadvertently missing the nuanced discussion between the feeling of self-doubt and feeling of being an imposter.
Self-doubt is a common for anyone, especially in the workplace. But self-doubt exacerbated by socialized processes and systems that communicate to an individual that they are a fraud based on how they identify is not simply self-doubt. It is self-doubt compounded by (and perhaps driven by) inequity.
By not addressing the environmental influences and nuances between self-doubt and imposter syndrome, it would be a mischaracterization to describe last week’s post as a full discussion on imposter syndrome. Missing these key discussion points may have been dismissive to those who see and experience the systemic influences of imposter syndrome on a daily basis. In an effort to help advocate for change at a systemic level, not just an individual one, I would like to offer three lessons that have become salient to me and that I think may help all of us better understand and address the systemic power dynamics that contribute to imposter syndrome.
Lesson No. 1: Be curious about your blind spots
We all have blind spots and implicit biases shaped by many factors, including our experiences, our education, the people around us, the media, and how the way we identify as individuals relate to these factors. By definition, we are not going to know all of our blind spots all the time. But we can be curious about them by being open to new perspectives, by accepting when we might be wrong, or by being receptive to learning we believed to be true might be more complicated than we thought.
Be extra curious about blind spots that may stem from a privileged location. These may inadvertently reinforce systems that lead those with certain identities to feel they are an imposter. If you are curious about whether your blind spots stem from a privileged location, I recommend reading this HBR article on advantage blindness.
Lesson No. 2: Embrace the discomfort that comes with reflection and dialogue
If we are to grow as individuals and create more inclusive and equitable systems, we need to lean into hard reflections and conversations about power dynamics in organizational systems. Many people reading this are already embracing this discomfort. Some do not have the luxury of choice due to how they identify and how socialized systems and processes impacts them every day. Some people reading this do have a choice (perhaps a quality of privilege?) whether they engage in the discomfort of reflection and dialogue about power and systems.
For those curious about embracing the discomfort, I invite you to ask yourself if you have choice in thinking about systemic influences that contribute to individuals feeling like an imposter based solely on their identity. I invite you to wonder why you have a choice while others may not. Perhaps there is room for more inquiry, something we all will have to reflect on for ourselves.
Lesson No. 3: Foster environments where all voices can be heard
Creating environments where all voices can be openly and genuinely heard not only increases equity and inclusion in an organizational system, it also reduces conflict and increases engagement. You can help foster safety in your work groups through the following ideas:
- Be clear and consistent in your feedback, communication and treatment of others
- Model your own vulnerability when appropriate
- Seek out and be receptive to feedback from many different perspectives, especially perspectives different from yours
- Be transparent about office decisions, policies and change efforts
- Celebrate the value and contribution of others
As an end-note disclaimer, by no means is this a full discussion on imposter syndrome and there are many others who are more versed on these topics than I. My hope is that this post can invite conversation about the complexity of self-doubt, imposter syndrome and the systemic influences that at times make any one of us (labels aside) question our abilities or right to be here. I invite you to use my thoughts and ideas for your own reflection, and I encourage you to stay curious and seek out more information and resources that can build on your own understanding of the topics discussed here.
If your curiosity is piqued, I invite our campus to engage with the Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion’s resources and the BobCAT IDEAs Strategic Framework to understand how we as a campus we can dismantle systemic and structural inequality, develop transformative practitioners and advocates, acknowledge privilege and power, and most importantly, develop a shared, accessible knowledge base to honor our Principles of Community . Finally, in the spirit of Lesson No. 3, I welcome continued conversation from anyone who feels drawn to share with me their thoughts or experiences.
Luke Wiesner is the UC Merced Conflict Resolution Coach , a private resource for staff members who are interested in having a partner to support workplace challenges or conflicts. This service is voluntary, and you can partner with the coach by yourself or with fellow university employees.
