Limit Perfectionism Before It Spins Out of Control
We all intuitively know the term perfectionism; you don’t need a formal definition. Your gut tells you what it is. For most, we find ourselves facing that very high-performance bar at some point in our career. At times, the strive for perfectionism provides added value and drives positive impact. But do you know the depth of the downside of perfectionism? “Perfectionism is much more complex than having high standards and critical self-evaluations; it compulsively affects a person’s social environment, relationships with others, and relationship with themselves. Perfectionism can leave one debilitated and is associated with health issues such as clinical depression, increased life stresses, anorexia nervosa, and early death, among other things, in some populations (Curran & Hill, 2017).
According to a national survey The Hardin Group conducted, “92% of people struggle with perfectionism, 46% believe workplace perfectionism causes high turnover, 86% believe their work is impacted by perfectionist expectations, [and] 61% believe perfectionism leads to procrastination and decreased productivity (Hardin, 2022). These startling statistics are just the beginning and provide a strong rationale to take action to reduce perfectionist tendencies in the workplace, both as individuals and as organizations.
Three useful approaches to minimizing perfectionism on an individual level are:
Reframing Mistakes: According to Robinson (2022) on Forbes, “admitting your imperfections allows you to forgive yourself. Even sharing a mistake or failure (with confidence, not self-condemnation) with a close friend or team reflects strength, honesty and integrity, not weakness.”
Steering Your Perfectionism: According to Clark (2019) of the Clark Psychology Group, “achieving more of what we want, and need, evolves as we do, through learning and growing. Being willing to take risks—even tempt failure—is how we grow and cultivate the confidence we need to strive for the excellence we want. Knowing we can handle and learn from failure is one way we can use our anxiety and ambition to fuel our best.
Building Trust in Yourself: Jodie Charlop, on Forbes Expert Panel, discussed the importance of learning to trust yourself – “perfectionism is a strength overused. In the extreme, it is a sabotaging behavior in leadership and life. But often, the behavior is more about the person’s internal fear and lack of trust. For effective leadership, learning to build trust in themselves and others is nonnegotiable” (Expert Panel, 2021). Starting small, such as making a promise to do something beneficial for your health (as simple as drinking a glass of water when you get up) every day and keeping the promise, can build trust in yourself over time, and then move to bigger areas. Working with a therapist can also be immensely helpful in building trust in yourself.
Everyone has encountered a perfectionist, whether you know one or you are one. It’s time to reel in this tendency and focus on priorities and productivity, not perfectionistic impossibility. Let’s learn to reframe the end game, steer with positive intention, and trust ourselves and each other as we navigate work. We can be allies for each other in diminishing perfectionism.
For additional resources, here is a podcast, Practicing Human and a wonderful book, When Perfect Isn’t Good Enough: Strategies for Coping with Perfectionism by Martin Antony and Richard Swinson, to help you or someone else’s journey of overcoming perfectionism.
References
Clark, A. H. (2019, August 8). The Connection Between Perfectionism And Anxiety.
Retrieved October 2022, from Clark Psychology Group: https://aliciaclarkpsyd.com/perfectionism-and-anxiety/
Curran, T., & Hill, A. P. (2017, November 11). Perfectionism Is Increasing Over Time: A Meta-
Analysis of Birth Cohort Differences From 1989 to 2016. Retrieved October 2022, from American Psychological Association: https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/releases/bul-bul0000138.pdf
Hardin, V. B. (2022). Why Research Perfectionism in the Workplace? Retrieved October
2022, from The Hardin Group: https://thehardingroup.co/perfectionism-research/
Expert Panel , F. (2021, May 26). 14 Tips To Help Perfectionists Get Out Of Their Own
Way. Retrieved October 2022, from Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2021/05/26/14-tips-to-help-perfectionists-get-out-of-their-own-way/?sh=6eb62235b185
Robinson, B. (2022, September 2). 7 Ways Perfectionism Lowers Engagement And
Contributes To Burnout, Studies Show. Retrieved October 2022, from Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/bryanrobinson/2022/09/02/7-ways-perfectionism-lowers-engagement-and-contributes-to-burnout-studies-show/?sh=2c24c1055949