Denver – An intriguing, different and reflective personal topic was presented by Bryce Griffler, CSP, at a Monday afternoon session at the National Safety Congress: Do you suffer from imposter syndrome? Feel like you’re really not up to the EHS responsibility you’ve been given?

More than 70% of people will suffer from imposter syndrome, or imposter thoughts, at some point, to some extent, depth or length of time, according to research.

The fear of being exposed as a fraud, as not being competent to handle the responsibilities you’ve been given, can be caused in EHS by being surrounded by more experienced EHS pros, the pressure of being the final gatekeeper or source of approval for EHS projects, or if you’re the only EHS pro in the organization. Weighty responsibilities.

Feeling like an imposter, that you don’t belong, is not the same as self-doubt. Self-doubt is questioning if you can do something, it is not the belief that you can’t do something and your failing will be exposed.

Signs of feeling like an imposter: emotional exhaustion, burnout, decreased job satisfaction, low self-esteem, having unrealistic high personal expectations, being a perfectionist, being highly self-critical, and remembering mistakes more than successes.

It’s important to recognize these symptoms and feelings of being a fraud because as an EHS pro, the stakes, the consequences are high. These feelings of being a fraud, unworthy, are distractions that decrease focus and alertness. This can lead to inferior incident analyses, audits, data analysis and other EHS tasks. Lives ultimately are at stake.

Ironically, imposter thoughts are more likely to affect high performers, top tier employees with high standards and expectations.

If you suffer from imposter thoughts, Griffler recommended:

• Find a mentor or multiple mentors for ·aspects of your work, or life.
• Take on a teaching assignment to increase mental acuity and direct engagement with employees that can be satisfying.
• Build a challenge network of mentors perhaps, or others who will give you honest feedback while affirming their respect for you.
• Review your goals, goals met, and other areas of your performance to recognize hard evidence that the facts don’t lie and your performance does measure up.
• Celebrate successes, don’t dismiss them or play them down.
• Challenge the definition of competence – what is really the criteria of being competent, and is your mindset overstating the true components of competence?

As an EHS pro, it’s also important to recognize signs of imposter syndrome in team members or frontline employees, which again, can affect performance. Griffler said it’s important to listen, be open and vulnerable when initiating conversations with employees – and it will be up to you to start these conversations. Don’t be dismissive of feelings, reframe any failures in more realistic and productive terms, and challenge imposter thoughts with hard facts that point to a more positive outlook, a more balanced view of one’s performance and sense of self.