Back

In this chapter, the author discusses four sabotaging patterns that can impact work performance. The first pattern is imposter syndrome, which is the fear of being exposed as a fraud despite objective accomplishments. This can lead to self-doubt, anxiety, and a reluctance to take risks or seek feedback. Imposter syndrome can result in underachievement and the avoidance of opportunities to demonstrate one’s value and capabilities. To overcome imposter syndrome, individuals should recognize that their feelings of fraudulence do not reflect reality and should seek feedback and challenge their perfectionistic tendencies.

The second sabotaging pattern discussed is not finishing what one starts. This can be addressed by implementing strategies to prevent tasks from being left unfinished, such as addressing the cognitive error of thinking tasks can be finished later, understanding the context in which tasks are left unfinished, and prioritizing tasks that prevent the problem from occurring. Individuals should also develop routines to establish the habit of finishing tasks in one go and determine the value of completing partially finished tasks before embarking on new projects.

The third pattern is overworking, which can be driven by a sense of mission or a fear of failure. To address this pattern, individuals should experiment with working less and observing if they achieve greater productivity. They should give themselves the experience of not overworking, take breaks to improve productivity, consider the benefits of other interests cross-pollinating their work, and evaluate the psychological payoffs of overworking.

The final pattern is avoiding difficult conversations at work. To overcome this pattern, individuals should put themselves in their conversation partner’s shoes, take responsibility for their own actions and reactions, believe in their capacity to handle rejection, and learn basic skills in negotiating. They should also consider asking for advice in difficult situations, recognize the potential for developing trust and reducing stress through difficult conversations, and avoid avoiding certain modes of conversation.

In addition to these sabotaging patterns, the author also suggests identifying micro-self-sabotaging patterns in work life that require small adjustments to solve. This can range from sticking checklists on the back of doors to setting time limits for each aspect of a project. Individuals should keep a running list of these micro-patterns and periodically problem solve to find easy solutions.

The chapter concludes by prompting the reader to identify their top insight from the chapter and determine how to translate that insight into a tangible action or change in behavior. This can involve setting up reminders, creating systems with hard deadlines, and taking steps to implement the insight effectively.

Overall, the chapter provides strategies for overcoming sabotaging patterns that can hinder work performance and offers practical advice for improving productivity and achieving success in the workplace.

Words: 449