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20 MAR 2023
Tammara Buckey, MBA, EMPA, PMP, CDFM-A, CFE, LSS BB
BDO, Senior Manager, Audit Remediation
Imposter Syndrome &
Project Management:
How to Cope

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Learning Objectives
At the conclusion of this session, participants will be able to:
List signs and symptoms of
Imposter Syndrome in
themselves and others
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Identify ways to overcome
Imposter Syndrome by applying
the ideas shared in the session
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Topics We’ll Cover
• What is Imposter Syndrome?
• How Does it Affect Project Management?
• What Does the Data Say?
• Who Might be Affected?
• What Causes Imposter Syndrome?
• How Does It Affect Others?
• Coping with Imposter Syndrome
• Helping Others Cope with Imposter Syndrome
• Key Takeaways

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• A persistent feeling that your success
isn’t deserved
• Term coined in 1978 by psychologists
Suzanna Irmes and Pauline Rose
Clance(2) to describe the chronic feeling
of inadequacy and incompetence,
despite past successes
• Not in the Diagnostic and Statistic
Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)
• AKA Imposter Phenomenon or
Imposterism
• Common for overachievers
What is Imposter Syndrome?
(2)Clance, P. R., &; Imes, S. A. (1978). The imposter phenomenon in high achieving women: Dynamics and therapeutic
intervention. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research & Practice, 15(3), 241–247. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0086006

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How Does it
Affect Project
Management? • No one knows how to do
• Are already behind schedule
• Have limited resources
• Have high stakes and high visibility
• Are more difficult than the last thing we mastered
• Are over our heads and level of expertise
• Seem impossible
• No one has done before
• Or no one that looks like you has done before
Project Managers often get tasked
with things that:

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People Domain(1)
• Conflict Management
• Team Building
• Leadership
• Mentoring
• Empowering Team Members
and Stakeholders
• Removing Roadblocks
• Emotional Intelligence
(1)Project Management Institute. (2021). A guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK
guide) (7th ed.). Project Management Institute.
PMI Topics Affected by Imposter Syndrome

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What Does the Data Say?
In 2020, the US National Institute of Health (NIH) conducted a study(3)
• Included data from 1966 to 2018
• Review of 62 peer reviewed studies with 14,161 participants
Results:
• Common among minorities
• Negatively correlated with psychological wellbeing
• Positively correlated with depression and anxiety
Conclusion:
• Clinicians and employers should be mindful of the prevalence of imposter syndrome
among professional populations
Recommendations:
• Take steps to assess for feelings of imposter syndrome and common comorbidities
(3)Bravata, D. M., Watts, S. A., Keefer, A. L., Madhusudhan, D. K., Taylor, K. T., Clark, D. M., Nelson, R. S., Cokley, K. O., & Hagg, H.
K. (2020). Prevalence, Predictors, and Treatment of Impostor Syndrome: a Systematic Review. Journal of general internal
medicine, 35(4), 1252–1275. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-019-05364-1

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Who Might Be
Affected by
Imposter
Syndrome?
All Genders, Orientations, and Identities
All Ages
People of All Colors, Creed, and Nationality
Early Careerists
College Students
Seasoned Professionals
Top Experts in Any Field
Unless You’re a Cat... You Could be Affected

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Five Types of Imposter Syndrome
According to Dr. Valerie Young(4), the five types are:
1. The Perfectionist
2. The Superwoman/Man
3. The Natural Genius
4. The Soloist
5. The Expert
(4)Young, V. (2011). 6. In The secret thoughts of successful women: Why capable people suffer from the impostor
syndrome and how to thrive in spite of it. essay, Crown Business.

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Achievement
Related Task
Anxiety, Self-
Doubt and Worry
Over-prepare
and/or
Procrastinate
Complete Task
Sigh of Relief
Discount Positive,
Focus on Negative
Increased Self-
Doubt and Anxiety
The
Imposter
Cycle
The
Imposter
Cycle(5)
(5)Clance, P. R. (1985). The Impostor Phenomenon: Overcoming the fear that haunts your success. Atlanta, GA: Peachtree.

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It was nothing
Nah it’s terrible
Thanks, I hate it

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Example Behaviors
• Downplay past achievements
• Feel uncomfortable with praise
• Argue with compliments
• Don’t speak up
• Don’t go after goals
• Lack healthy boundaries
• Criticize yourself often
• Sleep or mood disorders
• High-achieving workaholic
• Feelings of low self-esteem,
unfulfillment, or being an outsider
Do any of these
sound familiar?

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What Causes Imposter Syndrome?
Classic answer… It depends
There are many causes and contributing factors
• Taught to be a perfectionist
• Bullied into feeling unworthy
• Parentification (Parent-Child Reversal)(6)
• Comparing yourself to others
• Praised for the wrong reasons
• Rewarded for the wrong things
• Survivor’s Guilt(7)
(6) Castro, D., Jones, R. & Mirsalimi, H. (2010). Parentification and the Impostor Phenomenon: An Empirical Investigation.
The American Journal of Family Therapy. May-June 2004. 205-216. 10.1080/01926180490425676.
(7) Fimiani, R., Leonardi, J.,Gorman, B. & Gazzillo, F. Psyhub. (2021). Interpersonal guilt, impostor phenomenon, depression,
and anxiety. 31-40. 10.13133/2724-2943/17528.

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How Does it Affect Others?
• At Home
• Siblings
• Kids
• Spouse/Partner
• At Work
• Coworkers
• Subordinates
• Bosses
• Clients
• As an Entrepreneur(8)
(8)Eddleston, K., Ladge, J. & Sugiyama, K. (2020). 'Imposter Syndrome' Holds Back Entrepreneurial Women.
Entrepreneur and Innovation Exchange.

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Case Studies
Lupita Nyong’o
Dr. Robert McGee(9)
PMP Exam
(9)McGee, Robert W., The Impostor Syndrome [A.K.A. 'Fake It Until You Make It']: A Case Study (October 23, 2017).

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Who Said It?
1. “It’s almost like the better I do, the more my feeling of inadequacy actually increases,
because I’m just going, Any moment, someone’s going to find out I’m a total fraud, and
that I don’t deserve any of what I’ve achieved.”
2. “No matter what we've done, there comes a point where you think, 'How did I get here?
When are they going to discover that I am, in fact, a fraud and take everything away
from me?’”
3. “I have written eleven books, but each time I think, ‘Uh oh, they’re going to find out
now. I’ve run a game on everybody and they’re going to find me out.”
4. “The exaggerated esteem in which my lifework is held makes me very ill at ease. I feel
compelled to think of myself as an involuntary swindler.”
– Emma Watson
– Tom Hanks
– Maya Angelou
– Albert Einstein

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How to Cope with Imposter Syndrome
Remember
Past Victories
Use Your
Resources
Positive
Affirmations
Act As If
Cautious
Optimism
Prepare Like
Crazy
Trust the
Process
Trust Yourself

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Disrupt the Cycle
• Accept it for what it is and recognize it
• Know that fear of failure (and success) is normal
• This stems from a place of self preservation and self
protection
• You are not alone in this feeling, talk to someone
• You will get through this imposter cycle and many more to
come
• If you recognize the signs and triggers, you can disrupt the
cycle
• The more you disrupt the cycle, the less bothered you’ll be
when triggered

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Positive Affirmations
• I do belong __________________________________ because ______________________.
• I do deserve _________________________________ because ______________________.
• I earned ____________________________________ because ______________________.
• I am capable of _______________________________ because ______________________.
• I am uniquely qualified for _____________________ because ______________________.
• I am smart enough for _________________________ because_______________________.
Rewrite your doubt to reflect the opposite in a statement of confidence
• I do belong in my role as supervisor because I have 15+ years of experience to prove I’m an
expert in my field.
• I do deserve a real vacation (no devices!) because I worked hard to set the team up for
seamless operations while I’m gone.
• I am capable of feeding myself at home because pizza rolls count!
• I earned my spot on the team because I have successfully led 2 projects in a row and am
capable of leading other teams too.
• I am uniquely qualified for this project manager role because I’ve led multiple projects and
am the person most familiar with the associated content.
• I am smart enough to write a book because I’ve written thousands of words in my life, just
not in any particular order.

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Use Imposter Syndrome to Your Advantage
• Let it inform your decision making
• Let it fuel your growth and development
• Let it be a sign that you’re about to level up

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Help Others Cope with Imposter Syndrome
Encourage and
Support Others
Provide
Resources
Promote
Collaboration
Communicate
Openly
Reward the
Right Things
Provide
Opportunities
for Growth
Ask How You
Can Help
Build Authentic
Relationships
Advocate for
the Voiceless
Pay Attention to
Non-Verbal
Cues

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Focus on Strengths
• Conservative
• Analytical
• Risk-Adverse
• Cautious
• Meticulous
• Protective
• Grounded
• Grateful
• Committed
• Data-Driven
• Adaptive
• Flexible
• Brave
• Strong
• Empathetic
• Compassionate
• Seasoned
• Committed to Growth
• Agents of Change
• Leaders

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Process Map: Am I an Imposter?
You are an
imposter
Not an
imposter
Yes
No
Yes
Yes No
No
Yes
Fix it and
start over
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
START
No
Are you
already
doing it?
Do records
show you’re
qualified?
Do you
understand the
basics?
Do you have
Google?
Are the records
incorrect?
Are you
committing
fraud?
Are you a cat?

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Key Takeaways
• Give yourself credit
• Project Management is unpredictable
• Imposter feelings are normal
• Use your resources
• Rely on the evidence
• Share your knowledge to help others
• You’re not really an imposter
• But if you somehow are… give yourself credit because you deserve an Oscar

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Thank you!
Let's continue the
conversation! Connect
with me on LinkedIn!