The extended version of "Kicking Impostor Syndrome In The Head" as delivered at Open Source Bridge '13

1. Kicking Impostor
Syndrome In The Head
Denise Paolucci
Dreamwidth Studios
denise@dreamwidth.org
Tuesday, June 18, 13

2. Impostor Syndrome
“...a psychological phenomenon in which
people are unable to internalize their
accomplishments. Despite external evidence of
their competence, those with the syndrome
remain convinced they are frauds and do not
deserve the success they have achieved. Proof
of success is dismissed as luck, timing, or as a
result of deceiving others into thinking they
are more intelligent and competent than they
believe themselves to be.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impostor_syndrome
Tuesday, June 18, 13

3. Impostor Syndrome
OH CRAP, ANY MINUTE
EVERYONE'S GOING TO
FIGURE OUT I HAVE
ABSOLUTELY
NO IDEA
WHAT I’M DOING.
Tuesday, June 18, 13

4. Diagnosing your
Impostor Syndrome
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5. “You and John and Jane
are all so good at what
you do!”
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6. Thanks! I really enjoy
working with them.
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7. They’re good at this.
I’m just good at
pretending.
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8. “I always look up to
you as a role model!”
Tuesday, June 18, 13

9. Thanks! I’m really glad I
can help inspire you.
Tuesday, June 18, 13

10. You wouldn’t if you
knew how bad at this I
really am.
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11. “You’re always so good
at solving problems for
others!”
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12. Thanks! We all help
each other out
whenever we can.
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13. Except for that one mistake. And
the other one. And that really
huge one. And the time I broke
everything and everybody had to
clean up my mistakes and then I
spent a week hiding because I felt
guilty and was sure that
everybody was going to blame
me for wasting all their time and I
Tuesday, June 18, 13

14. (breathe.)
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15. Tuesday, June 18, 13

16. Why Impostor
Syndrome Sucks :(
Tuesday, June 18, 13

17. • Impossible to take pride in your work.
Why Impostor
Syndrome Sucks :(
Tuesday, June 18, 13

18. • Impossible to take pride in your work.
• Impossible to admit you don’t know something.
Why Impostor
Syndrome Sucks :(
Tuesday, June 18, 13

19. • Impossible to take pride in your work.
• Impossible to admit you don’t know something.
• Prevents others from having perspective too.
Why Impostor
Syndrome Sucks :(
Tuesday, June 18, 13

20. • Impossible to take pride in your work.
• Impossible to admit you don’t know something.
• Prevents others from having perspective too.
• It makes you feel like crap :(
Why Impostor
Syndrome Sucks :(
Tuesday, June 18, 13

21. Helping yourself
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22. 0.
Talk about the issue.
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23. 1.
Watch your language:
some ideas are self-
reinforcing.
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24. Such as...
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25. • “Just”,“Only”, and other minimizers
Such as...
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26. • “Just”,“Only”, and other minimizers
• “I think”,“I don’t know if”, and other
qualifiers
Such as...
Tuesday, June 18, 13

27. • “Just”,“Only”, and other minimizers
• “I think”,“I don’t know if”, and other
qualifiers
• “I’m not a REAL X, but –”
Such as...
Tuesday, June 18, 13

28. • “Just”,“Only”, and other minimizers
• “I think”,“I don’t know if”, and other
qualifiers
• “I’m not a REAL X, but –”
• “Should”
Such as...
Tuesday, June 18, 13

29. CC-BY-NC-SA http://www.flickr.com/photos/starfive/6729394929
(these are really hard.)
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30. 2.
Teach what you know.
(Even if you think you
don’t know it.)
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31. 3.
Question corrections.
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32. 4.
Ask questions early and
often.
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33. 5.
Ask for perspective
checks from a friend.
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34. 6.
List your
accomplishments.
(Own them.)
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35. Tuesday, June 18, 13

36. 7.
Practice accepting
compliments.
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37. Help others.
(Especially if you’re in a
position of power.)
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38. 0.
Talk about the issue!
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39. 1.
Take questions
seriously.
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40. 2.
Make mistakes publicly.
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41. 3.
Call out others’
accomplishments,
especially high-effort
ones.
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42. 4.
Document things that
“everyone knows”.
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43. 5.
Make it no big deal for
people to ask for help
or admit defeat.
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44. Thank you!
(It’s audience
participation time.)
Denise Paolucci
Dreamwidth Studios
denise@dreamwidth.org
Tuesday, June 18, 13