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Inspiration

Helping perfectionists ease up

hen candidates are asked in job interviews disorder and agoraphobia, obsessive-compulsive disorder,
to name one of their flaws or their biggest binge eating, anorexia, bulimia, and other eating disorders,
weakness, an answer considered to be rela- post-traumatic stress disorder, chronic fatigue syndrome,
W tively innocuous is perfectionism. After all, insomnia, hoarding, dyspepsia, chronic headaches, and,
who wouldn't want to hire someone who consistently most alarming of all, even early mortality and suicide."
strives for the very best outcomes possible? The thing is,
though, that there's a difference between aiming high and In addition, researchers have found that perfectionists do
seeking perfection, and those differences can make a huge not get better results than workers who are conscientious
difference to your team. and motivated. And perfectionists not only have
unreasonable expectations of themselves, they also tend
I'm not saying perfectionism is entirely negative. Brian to judge other people harshly, too, in black-and-white/
Swider, Dana Harari, Amy P. Breidenthal and Laurens perfection-or-total-failure terms.
Bujold Steed examined studies spanning four decades
for "The Pros and Cons of Perfectionism, According Ways to ease the stress
to Research," published Dec. 27, 2018, in the Harvard In case you recognize yourself as a perfectionist or you
Business Review. Their results affirmed that perfectionism see that the description applies to a colleague or two,
"meaningfully and consistently" predicts several beneficial you can take steps to mitigate the downsides. One is to
outcomes. "For example," they wrote, "perfectionists are realize perfectionists do not need to be reminded of their
more motivated on the job, work longer hours, and can be performance goals; they invariably keep them top of
more engaged at work." mind. According to the Harvard Business Review authors,
The downsides of perfectionism another way to help is to encourage perfectionists "to set
goals for rejuvenating, non-work recovery activities—ones
Sounds good, right? However, their results also indicated that could help mitigate stress and burnout." Managers,
perfectionism is "strongly and consistently" related to a they added, can also clearly detail the real expectations of
number of detrimental outcomes on and off the job. These a job or assignment and communicate tolerance for some
include higher levels of burnout, stress, workaholism, mistakes—and do this more than once.
anxiety and depression.
So, if a new colleague tells you they are a perfectionist,
In "The dangerous downsides of perfectionism," published probe to ascertain whether the person is a true perfectionist
by the BBC on Feb. 20, 2018, Amanda Ruggeri argued that or someone who is merely motivated and conscientious.
perfectionism is ultimately self-defeating. "It is built on an This will give you a good idea of how to help the person
excruciating irony: making, and admitting, mistakes is a thrive in their career with the right kind of support.
necessary part of growing and learning and being human.
... By avoiding mistakes at any cost, a perfectionist can
make it harder to reach their own lofty goals."

Ruggeri went on to point out that perfectionist tendencies
have been linked to clinical issues, including "depression
and anxiety (even in children), self-harm, social anxiety
Kate Gillespie, President and CEO
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