ow many times do you find yourself paralyzed with fear at the thought of raising your voice and speaking your opinions out loud, whether at a conference, in a business meeting, or even just from your cubicle chair? Do you cringe at the idea of asking for help when you get stuck on a challenging problem? Many of us do, and it can be crippling. Imposter syndrome is alive and well in IT, and the fear and self-doubt that we all experience can be a major blocker to progress and success. Not just in our personal lives, but on our software teams, and ultimately in our careers. As a fellow “imposter”, I’d like to share some of my own adventures in embracing my fears, learning to ask for help, and the sometimes unexpected and very positive outcomes that followed.

2. 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
Has a *possibly* unhealthy love of Halloween
Shameless self promotion
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/

3. This is NOT a how-to 

4. 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. Impostor syndrome[1] is 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

6. 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”

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

9. If the total score is 40 or less, the respondent has few Impostor
characteristics
If the score is between 41 and 60, the respondent has moderate
IP experiences
A score between 61 and 80 means the respondent frequently has
Impostor feelings;
A score higher than 80 means the respondent often has intense
IP experiences.

11. IT Evangelist: 40
Graphic Designer: 74
Senior Developer: 67
Dietician: 69Angela Dugan: 77
Screen Printer: 73
Librarian: 71
Agile 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: 71
SAHM: 52
Biology Teacher: 65
Network Administrator: 39
Audio Engineer: 67
Lawyer: 89
Management Consultant: 67
http://paulineroseclance.com/pdf/IPscoringtest.pdf
Senior Developer: 70

13. Being an “expert” is overrated
An expert is just someone who has effed up
something more than you
Being a beginner is pretty amazing!

14. Most “experts” had no freaking clue what they
were doing, at first…
Until they DID

15. 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.

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

17. Perfection is the enemy of good

18. But it’s not ALL bad

19. “It's OK to feel like a phony sometimes. It's
healthy if it moves you forward”
~Scott Hanselman
http://www.hanselman.com/blog/ImAPhonyAreYou.aspx

20. Story Time

21. Many of my blog posts are an admission of guilt

22. Every blog post and presentation is a leap of faith

23. What do I do now?

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

25. It encourages us to push ourselves (and others) to
learn
It fosters innovation
It teaches us humility

26. 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

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

28. Find something you’re really good at and then
be the best you can be at that thing

29. Then find something you’re really good at,
that someone else wants to learn, then teach
them.

30. See It, Do It, Teach it

31. Remind yourself that knowing all the answers
makes you less likely to seek out new
solutions or embrace new ideas

32. 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.

33. Nothing helps you realize just how much we
don’t know like mentoring someone
Nothing helps you realize just how much you
have to offer like mentoring someone

34. Take risks
Be ok with being vulnerable
Ask for help

35. “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!

36. Nothing makes you rethink how you
represent yourself, accept and give praise,
and react to others missteps like having
others look to you as a model for behavior!

37. Managing Humans - $18
Getting Naked ~$20
The Art of Asking ~$18
The Authenticity Paradox ~$0
Angela’s Slide decks: http://www.slideshare.net/angelabinkowski