impostor syndrome

Imposter…?

My background

My background

My background

I’m not a designer.

Or at least I don’t feel like one.

1. What is imposter syndrome? 2. What are some of its effects? 3. Where does it come from? 4. What can I do about it? 5. How do I give back?

1. What is impostor syndrome?

…unable to internalize their accomplishments

…convinced that they are frauds

…do not deserve the success they have achieved.

Proof of success is dismissed as luck, timing, or deception…

2. What are its effects?

Self-sabotage

Upper limit

Procrastination

Eroded self-confidenceEroded self-confidence

Second-guessing

Anxiety

3. Where does it come from?

The Nature of UXWarning: I have no quantitative data to back up these claims.

STORY:“I’m not analytically

minded!”

UX is analytical

This makes us prone to over analyze.

very

UX is sustained by proving & disproving

assumptions.And people are assuming that we know what we’re doing.

UX is a new fieldrelatively

It’s got less baggage. Relatively speaking.

We may all have different job titles in 3–5

years.

We’re from different professions.

There are very few experts.

99% Invisible is a tiny radio show about design, architecture & the 99% invisible activity that shapes our world.

UX begins as intuition.

It’s an itch.

4. What can I do about it?

Know your audience

Reframe the question.

My Boss & ClientsMy Colleagues

Myself

With My Boss & Clients

“Expectation. That is the true soul of art.”

from Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson

Be honest

…but not too honest

They don’t pay you to be humble.

They pay you to be confident.

Confident ≠ Arrogant

Fake It.

…but not too honest

STORY: Dave’s Pasty Friend

“Courage is being scared to death but saddling up anyway.”

John Wayne

Expectations

“Power is an illusion of perception.”

from Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson

With Colleagues & Coworkers

“Innovation is not about solo genius, it’s about collective genius.”

Linda Hill in her TED talk “How to manage for collective creativity”

Hang a lampshade on your ignorance.

Know your weaknesses.

Ask for help.

Let that fear of being “found out” work for you.

We’re all frauds.

Authenticity is a myth.

My online persona is largely an act, in the sense that it’s a tiny subset of the internal reality I live with each day. My inner self is a very different creature from the image I project. That won’t come as a surprise,

because it’s something we all do.

Matt Gemmell (@mattgemmell) in “Façades”

“I’m a million different people from one day to the next.”

The Verve, “Bittersweet Symphony” (1997)

We’re all frauds.

Authenticity is a myth.

“We still face challenges, so, each day is a new day to be an imposter.”

Nick Jarvis (@nckjrvs)

Being a dad is scary, but you push through it and get good at it.

Within yourself

“Expectation wasn’t just about what people expect of you.

It was about what you expect of yourself.”

from Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson

Know what you know

Be okay with not knowing everything

UX is being a good Generalist.

Remind yourself of your accomplishments

Write it out.

Find your intrinsic worth.

Keep a list of compliments.

Document your extrinsic worth.

Read it back.

Identify what you can be confident about.

“It matters less whether you have those skills today, as long as you’re clearly someone who will have those skills

tomorrow.

Figure out what you are and aren’t good at. And then do something about it.

Julie Zhuo (@joulee), “How to Impress an Interviewer”

Take responsibility

Do your homework

STORY: Reading the Dictionary in the

MTC

Ask a lot of questions

Have a passion project

It’s not all about work.

Find UX in daily life

UX is a way of life

#99pi

Failure is good

Failure keeps you honest

Kids ParkourLesson 1: Falling

Every subsequent class: Falling

“Messing up is proof that you’re trying.”

Kylee, my 9-year-old niece

“There’s about a million miles between saying ‘I have no idea what I’m doing,’

and ‘I’m making it up as I go.’”

Frank Chimero (@frank_chimero) in “The Inferno of Independence”

Let it propel you forward

Use it as something to push against

@damenleeturks: What have you done to defeat, avoid, or combat #ImpostorSyndrome?

@amishrobot: you forgot “embrace”

@damenleeturks: How might one accomplish that?

@amishrobot: I just think of it as my little friend that doesn’t let me get too complacent.

@amishrobot: In between episodes of going, “Aargh! This is the time they are finally going to figure out that I suck!”

What do you think?

5. How do I give back?

“Sometimes the best help a person can find is helping someone else.”

Patrick Rothfuss (@PatrickRothfuss) in The Wise Man's Fear

It can get bad out there.

Be forgiving.

Improve the environment for others

Share your failures

Show that you’re human and that perfection is not a default.

Embrace inefficiency

Build in the time to fail spectacularly.

Be a mentor.

Let others come to you with questions.

Be forgiving.

of yourself and of others

Be grateful.

Both in private for your successes and in public by thanking your coworkers