My colleague Alberto told me that before attending the Agile Spain 2023 Conference last November, he was convinced that his talk was going to be the best.

He had seen the talks from previous years and felt super prepared.

When the time came, on the first day of the conference at 10:00, a ball of nerves rose from his stomach to his throat, almost leaving him speechless, seeing so many people entering the room.

Panic set in, and he thought that feeling he had of being the best speaker at CAS23 was completely gone.

If you are an executive, manager, or simply have been in your company for a long time, it is likely that you have felt the same way as Alberto at some point in your career. It is also known as the Dunning-Kruger effect, you know, when you think you are much better than you really are (although there is another side of the effect that I will tell you about later).

Going back to the conversation with Alberto, just a few minutes into the talk and with his nerves on edge, he was then overcome with that fear of feeling that he didn’t deserve to be there, as if someone was going to find out that all the work he did at Enreach in 2023 was overrated. Have you ever heard of the Impostor Syndrome?

Alberto at that moment felt caught between two vertices for a few minutes, was he really the best speaker at CAS23? Or was his talk of no value to the attendees?

I guess the important thing is to find a balance, recognizing our abilities without exaggerating them, but also realizing that we deserve to be where we are. It is complicated, but I will explain what they consist of, how to identify them and a small guide so as not to fall into any extreme.

Definition and characteristics of the Dunning-Kruger Effect

The
Dunning-Kruger effect
The “social psychology” phenomenon, a psychological phenomenon studied in 1999 by social psychologists David Dunning and Justin Kruger, reveals a fundamental cognitive bias in the perception of individual abilities. If you want to read in depth the study they did, you will find it in the following link
here
.

For those readers short on time, I’ll briefly summarize that David Dunning and Justin Kruger’s study talks about something super interesting:

how people often think they are so much better than they really are in certain areas

This happens both personally and professionally or academically.

Although sometimes it can also be defined as:

The more I know, the more I realize I know nothing.

If your position is as a manager or leader with people under you, you have probably felt that you could have made that presentation much better.

Why?

Because we tend to think that our way of expressing ourselves and our ideas is the best and most reasonable option.

Then, when we don’t realize we’ve screwed up, we assume we’ve done great. This leads many professionals with potential for improvement to stagnate or continue to do their work as they believe it is best.

The study also exposes that such people have problems recognizing their abilities, either in themselves or in other people, which prevents them from really understanding how they are performing.

In short, the study explains why we sometimes have an exaggeratedly optimistic view of our abilities, and explains that this happens because
we do not realize when we are getting it wrong.
.

Another reason why many workers do not want to change is because they think that what has served them well so far is the best.
they think that what has served them so far is the best, what works, and that
what works, and they are not
they are not prepared to deal with the uncertain


uncertain and complex future

and complex future, promoting resistance to change.

How can we detect that we are suffering from the Dunning-Kruger effect?

I propose a very quick test:

Do you drive a car, bike, motorcycle or scooter?

If yes: are you a better driver than average?

You probably thought “yes” or “of course”.

If we repeat this question in a large group, we will see that more than 70% answer affirmatively to the second question, which is not statistically feasible, unless we ask the question in the club of good drivers.

You may have just experienced the Dunning-Kugger effect.

And it’s not an ego issue, it’s an issue that our sample is biased!

In addition, if you have felt identified in your day-to-day situations with what I have explained about the Dunning-Kruger effect, I leave you with a series of questions that you can ask yourself:

• Do I tend to believe that I am exceptionally good at something without having objective evidence of my ability in that area?
• Do I avoid seeking comments or suggestions from my peers or superiors about my work because I think I am already doing it well?
• Do I tend to belittle the ideas or contributions of my peers, assuming that my approach is always the best?
• Have I received negative comments about my performance in certain areas, but ignored them or dismissed them as irrelevant?
• Do I avoid seeking feedback on my performance because I think I am already doing well?
• Do you think about your own mental processes? Do you question yourself?

It is important to be honest with yourself when answering questions. It would also be interesting if someone close to you, and with confidence, could give you their perspective on these questions. If most of the answers are
yes
o
sometimes
Here are some tips to combat the effect.

Strategies for overcoming the Dunning-Kruger effect

They say the first step is to recognize it.

Welcome to the club!

Admit the possibility of suffering from Dunning-Kruger syndrome by accepting one’s own susceptibility to overestimation of abilities as a first step.

Once you have accepted it, you can start to treat it with the following mechanisms:

1. 
   Seek constructive feedback
   Be encouraged to ask how your colleagues see you, be open to constructive criticism within the team and outside, with stakeholders or other departments.
2. 
   Sets realistic learning objectives
   encourages
   achievable and measurable goals
   that promote professional growth.
3. Practice self-criticism and self-reflection.recognizes the importance of interpersonal and emotional skills in the work environment. Try to identify and evaluate yourself in 360 degrees on your competencies looking for improvement in areas identified as deficient.
4. 
   Commitment to training
   You can acquire specific knowledge and skills through training programs or internally if you detect that someone in your company or environment has a lot of knowledge about what you want to develop or improve.
5. Be humble: recognize that no one can be an expert in all subjects, least of all you. Sometimes it is important to look in the mirror and question ourselves. It can be uncomfortable, but only when we let go of our own prejudices can we see reality and improve.
6. 
   Develops knowledge and curiosity
   cultivates a constant desire to learn and explore new topics to increase awareness of one’s own limitations.
7. 
   Participate in meaningful discussions
   actively listens, considers divergent opinions and is willing to change perspective based on new arguments.

The Impostor Syndrome

The opposite effect of Dunning-Kruger’s effect is the Impostor Syndrome.

Although it is known as
syndrome
syndrome, it is not a disorder, but a psychological effect.

There are also people who refer to it as
impostor phenomenon
o
fraud syndrome
.

The Impostor Syndrome is defined as

“a psychological phenomenon characterized by an inability to internalize achievement and a persistent fear of being labeled a fraud” (Pauline Clance, Suzanne Imes, 1978).

This phenomenon is beginning to be studied in cases of women in managerial positions, often surrounded by men, where they consider that in order to reach and/or remain in these positions, they have to study, work and obtain results far superior to their male colleagues. In the
article
by Clance and Ament (1978).

Reading Clance and Ament’s study, I had the feeling that it described my case in full. Since I started working in technology companies, in many meetings with managers and CEO’s I have felt that this was not my place, I have asked myself

¿
am I here because they like me or because I’m really good at what I do?

As Clance and Ament explain, there are two types of people who may suffer from this phenomenon depending on their childhood:

• Women who have been raised with messages from their families to be more sensitive, more emotional, as opposed to their brothers or male relatives. They are women who have to fight against their own internalization that has been instilled within them, believing that they will never be able to prove that they are as brilliant as their brother, regardless of the achievements they make intellectually.
• Women who have grown up with messages from their parents about how brilliant they are, how “perfect with ease”. They are women who started reading and writing at a very early age (my mother has always boasted that she taught me to read at the age of three). In these cases, these women realize that they cannot measure up, believing that they are not geniuses, but intellectual impostors.

Similarly, the European Employment Services (EURES) defines in an article on
article
five types of Impostor Syndrome according to the book
The secret thoughts of successful women: why capable people suffer from imposter syndrome and how to thrive in spite of it,
by Valerie Young:

1. The superheroIn the society around us, being super-productive is highly valued. And as the superheroes that we are, we take that to the extreme. If you feel you have a hard time letting others do things for you or asking for help when you need it, you are a superhero or superheroine. It is important to be aware of whether you are in this position to avoid wear and tear. And remember, your value as a person does not depend on how productive you are. Always take care of your mental health.
2. The perfectionistAs a perfectionist, one’s self-imposed goals must be high. The problem with setting such high goals for ourselves is that they are often unattainable, and the moment we can’t achieve them, we doubt ourselves. Try to set realistic goals and celebrate small successes, not big final successes.
3. The individualistIndividualists tend to believe that, if they do not do something alone, the success of achieving it is not legitimate. Therefore, asking for help makes them weak. If you feel this way, remember that asking for help is not for the weak, but for the brave. Many times we need to collaborate to achieve great things, and learning from others makes you grow.
4. The born geniusThe born genius is the person who has always had things very easy in childhood and adolescence. As a result, in the midst of their adult and professional lives, they feel like a fraud for not having the stamina to overcome them. It’s good to accept and know that we don’t have to be the best at everything from the start. Intelligence is not fixed, so we can improve it with effort and practice. Do not panic if you encounter difficulties, it is normal.
5. The expertExperts often think they need to do a lot of research before starting a task, which can slow down their productivity and confidence to step out of their comfort zone. Remember that you were chosen to do something specific because of your skills. Being an expert does not mean knowing everything, but having a good knowledge of the subject. You may have knowledge gaps, take advantage of them to work as a team and solve them.

How do I know if I suffer from Impostor Syndrome?

Although the Impostor Syndrome is more common in women, it does not mean that men who have reached high positions in company hierarchies cannot also suffer from it.

If you feel that:

• You believe that you do not deserve the recognition and congratulations from your co-workers, that you have not worked hard enough for such recognition;
• That they congratulate you because they like you or because you were lucky to be at the perfect moment and say what they wanted to hear;
• That you are not aware of your own capabilities, and that you tend to react with undervaluation on your part when someone highlights them individually or in public;
• That every time you are going to talk about a subject in front of a manager or a group of people, you are overcome with fear if you do not fully control the subject, or you are alert in case you are asked a question that you do not know how to answer;
• Or simply if you constantly feel that you could do things better, that you haven’t tried hard enough?

…I must tell you that you may suffer from the imposter phenomenon.

But why do we feel this way? The causes can be very diverse:

• We may have low self-esteem or lack of personal security.
• We may have an academic or professional background that we believe has little relevance to the position we are currently holding.
• We may have received numerous criticisms or demands during our childhood or adolescence.
• We may have developed insecurities from past experiences, going from specific situations to people who have surrounded us and never acknowledged our achievements.

Avoiding Impostor Syndrome

We are human!

Or so we are told.

And as the complex and emotional beings that we are, it is normal for us to feel incapacitated at some points in our lives.

We are not robots perfectly designed to achieve the accomplishments we program ourselves to achieve. We have to understand that perfectionism is unattainable, in the sense that we live in a complex world of constant change.

On the other hand, stop for a moment and reflect, if at this moment you were given the power to be perfect in your work, would you accept?

Many of you may think so, by all means.

But how long would this satisfaction last?

For me personally, I would be bored after a few weeks.

To avoid falling into the Impostor Syndrome in a prolonged manner, we advise:

1. Challenge your negative thoughtsRemember that the Impostor Syndrome is a distorted perception of yourself. In this way, if you receive constructive criticism, do not take it as if you are doing something wrong, but rather as an opportunity for improvement, without obsessing about achieving perfection. Identify negative thoughts and replace them with positive affirmations.
2. Work on your self-esteem: learn to free yourself from the pressure of external validation that surrounds you. It is committed to developing self-acceptance and self-compassion. You can create a list of good skills you have, or leave messages to yourself at your workplace that are positive.
3. Celebrate your successCelebrate all your successes, no matter how small they may seem to you, alone or in company. Accept compliments from your colleagues and thank them.
4. Stop comparing yourselfTo reinforce your self-confidence, it is essential that you stop comparing yourself to others. We do not know the circumstances and context of the people around us. We need to view external achievements in perspective, recognizing our own achievements and setting goals based on our context.

If you have been suffering from this syndrome for a long time or you see that the feelings I have mentioned in the previous section are deeply rooted in you, my advice is to go to a psychologist to help you on an ongoing basis.

Conclusion

The Dunning-Kruger effect and the Impostor Syndrome are common psychological phenomena in the professional environment.

The first refers to an exaggerated perception of our abilities, while the second involves feeling like a fraud despite our accomplishments.

To overcome the Dunning-Kruger effect, it is crucial to seek feedback, set realistic goals and practice self-criticism.

On the other hand, the Impostor Syndrome manifests itself with negative thoughts about our capabilities. Fighting it involves challenging those thoughts, working on self-esteem, celebrating successes and stopping comparing ourselves to others.

It is essential to recognize these phenomena and seek professional help if necessary to manage them properly.