This document discusses imposter syndrome, a psychological phenomenon where high-achieving individuals doubt their accomplishments and have a persistent fear of being exposed as a "fraud". The author notes that up to 70% of people experience imposter syndrome. She shares her own experiences with imposter syndrome and encourages embracing failure as part of growth. She advocates recognizing imposter feelings in oneself and others without judgment, and creating an environment where people can share ideas and ask questions freely.

1. Fear and Self-Loathing in IT
Living, and Thriving with Imposter Syndrome

2. FYI: This is NOT a how-to session!

3. Who is Angela?
Polaris Solutions ALM Practice Mgr since Jan ‘12
Been in the software industry since 1999
Runs the Chicago ALM User Group
ALM MVP, PSM, PSD, SPC
Has a *possibly* unhealthy love of Halloween
Polaris Solutions- http://www.polarissolutions.com/
Chicago Visual Studio ALM User Group - http://www.chicagoalmug.org/
Twitter: @OakParkGirl, @ChicagoALM, @TeamPolaris
Blog - http://www.tfswhisperer.com/

4. More about Angela
Angela is not a trained psychologist
Angela most definitely suffers from imposter
syndrome
Also, there is a non-zero chance that I am
terrified that you all think I am full of crap!

5. Are YOU a “phony”?

6. Imposter 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 that 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.
Notably, impostor syndrome is particularly common
among high-achieving women.
~Wikipedia

7. Researchers believe that up to 70% of people
have felt the effects of impostor syndrome at
some point

8. The Test - Trigger warning!
The Imposter Test: http://paulineroseclance.com/pdf/IPscoringtest.pdf
“When people praise me for something I’ve accomplished,
I’m afraid I won’t be able to live up to their expectations of
me in the future”
“I’m afraid people important to me may find out that I’m
not as capable as they think I am”
“I rarely do a project or task as well as I’d like to do it”
“I often compare my ability to those around me and think
they may be more intelligent than I am”
“I tend to remember the incidents in which I have not
done my best more than those times I have done my best”

9. How would you score?
40 or less = respondent has few IS characteristics
41 to 60 = respondent has moderate IS
experiences
61 to 80 = respondent frequently has Impostor
feelings
80+ = respondent often has intense IS experiences
http://paulineroseclance.com/pdf/IPscoringtest.pdf

10. IT Evangelist: 40
Graphic Designer: 74
Senior Developer: 67
Dietician: 69
Screen Printer: 73
Librarian: 71Agile coach: 74
Interior Designer: 55
IT Director: 77
ALM Consultant: 87
Industrial Plumber: 54
SAHM: 39
Lawyer: 53
Freelance Writer: 30
IT Manager: 55
IT Consultant: 55
Scenic Painter: 71SAHM: 52
Biology Teacher: 65
Network Administrator: 39
Audio Engineer: 67
Lawyer: 89
Management Consultant: 67
Sr Developer: 70
SAHM: 69Academic Coach: 57
Kindergarten Teacher: 56
Senior ALM Specialist

12. FANTASY vs. REALITY

13. REALITY CHECK
Most “experts” had no freaking
clue what they were doing at first…
Until they DID

14. NO REALLY, I *HAVE* TO BE AN EXPERT!
Being an “expert” is overrated
An expert is just someone who has effed
up something more than you
Being a beginner is pretty amazing!

16. FEAR
Fear is an emotion induced by a threat perceived
by living entities, which causes a change in brain
and organ function and ultimately a change in
behavior, such as running away, hiding, or freezing
from traumatic events.

17. But what are we all so afraid of?
Being wrong?
Not having ALL of the answers?
Getting Fired?
Not being “perfect”?
Being/looking vulnerable?

18. Perfection is the enemy of good

19. And maybe it’s not ALL bad

20. It's OK to feel like a phony sometimes. It's
healthy if it moves you forward
We all feel like phonies sometimes. We are all phonies.
That's how we grow. We get into situations that are just a
little more than we can handle, or we get in a little over our
heads. Then we can handle them, and we aren't phonies,
and we move on to the next challenge.
~Scott Hanselman
http://www.hanselman.com/blog/ImAPhonyAreYou.aspx

22. Humility
In Judaism humility is an appreciation of oneself,
one's talents, skills, and virtues. It is not meekness or
self-deprecating thought, but the effacing of
oneself to something higher.
Humility is not to think lowly of oneself, but to
appreciate the self one has received.
~ Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks

23. “True humility is not thinking less of
yourself; it is thinking of yourself
less.”
~ C.S. Lewis

25. Acting with humility is a
RESPONSIBLE way to participate in
the IT community
ANY community

26. Story Time

27. Many of my posts are an admission
of ignorance

28. Putting yourself out there is HARD

29. For some of us, it is absolutely
terrifying to be recognized for the
awesome things that we do
Or are capable of

30. But what amazing opportunities do we
miss out on when we let our fear of
being seen as a phony drive our
decisions?

31. Benefits of occasionally feeling like
an imposter

32. Admitting you don’t know the answer
to something lends you instant
credibility.
I’m serious, try it…

33. Feeling like you don’t know all the
answers makes you more likely to
seek out new solutions

34. Feeling like you don’t know all the
answers makes you more likely to
embrace new ideas

35. So what do we do now?

36. Recognize how you’re feeling
Go ahead and feel it
And stop beating yourself up about it

37. Remind yourself that you are NOT a phony
Not working? OK, go with it…
Let it encourage you to push yourself to learn
Let it foster innovation and experimentation
Accept the humility that it teaches you

38. Find something you’re great at
then teach someone else about it

39. Nothing helps us realize just how
much we have to offer like
mentoring someone

41. Find someone who inspires you, get
connected, then ask for help
Chances are, they’ve been there too!
Then focus on being the best you, it really IS
enough

42. Be FEARLESS
Take risks
Be ok with being vulnerable
Ask for help

43. Be a LEADER
“A manager’s job is not to prevent risks but it
is their job to make it safe to take them.”
~@dneighbors
You don’t have to be a “manager” to be a
leader!

44. Be an EXAMPLE
Nothing makes you scrutinize how you
represent yourself, accept and give praise,
and react to others’ missteps like having
others look to you as a model for behavior!

45. Because our children are watching

48. Embrace Failure, It Is Inevitable
And absolutely CRITICAL to growing as a technologist
And as a human being

49. Recognize it in others
Recognize when others are feeling like imposters
Create a safe environment for sharing ideas and
asking questions
Shut down bad behavior as soon as you see it

52. Trust yourself

54. Imposter 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 that 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.
Notably, impostor syndrome is particularly common
among high-achieving women.
~Wikipedia

55. Reading / Watching List
I Thought It Was Just Me (but it isn't): Making the Journey
from "What Will People Think?" to "I Am Enough“ ~$11
Managing Humans - $18
Getting Naked ~$20
The Art of Asking ~$18
Be a Beginner Jeff Blankenburg talk from Kalamazoo X

56. Referenced Feats of Strength
My Blog: http://www.tfswhisperer.com/
My Slide decks:
http://www.slideshare.net/angelabinkowski
TFS Webinar:
http://blogs.msdn.com/b/visualstudioalm/archive/2015/03
/20/alm-webinars-and-conference-and-events.aspx
TFS Radio Podcast:
http://www.radiotfs.com/Show/92/EveryoneisanImpostor