The reality is, impostor syndrome is the “growth and development phase,” Shibu Varghese, CHRO of Houston-based University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, told Becker’s.
Instead of feeling unworthy, employees can shift their lens to see this phase in their career as an opportunity to grow and learn, he said.
Impostor syndrome is not just felt by new employees; it is a mindset that can occur at an executive level, as well, Mr. Varghese said. Many people perceive impostor syndrome as something that only happens to new employees or managers, or someone new to a career or organization.
“But the reality is that this self doubt or this feeling of incompetence can happen to anyone, any time in your career,” Mr. Varghese said.
Although impostor syndrome is not an industry-specific issue, it could be perceived differently by healthcare professionals. The word “syndrome” can immediately bring up negative feelings of illnesses, so people hardly talk about it, Mr. Varghese said.
“The more we can spin that to say that this is a positive thing, that everybody goes through it, people will lean into the resources,” he said. “When using words like syndrome, people will hide behind it and not proactively seek support and growth.”
How else can hospitals and health systems address this issue in their workforce? Mr. Varghese said managers supporting new leaders entering the C-suite or new employees entering a workforce should focus on space, grace and praise: Give them space to learn and grow, grace to learn from their mistakes, and praise for their successes.
MD Anderson also holds engagement circles, or group mentoring for employees, which includes discussions of tackling impostor syndrome. Additionally, the hospital’s sponsorship series allows employees to be sponsored by a leader and talk through any issues that arise.
“I constantly tell employees that we are developing ourselves every day so you never have to feel like you don’t belong or you don’t fit or you don’t deserve something,” Mr. Varghese said. “Then it gets us out of that rut of feeling like, ‘am I an impostor,’ or ‘I don’t belong,’ to really, ‘I learned something new today, this was an opportunity for me to grow or develop.'”
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