Imposter Syndrome: How It Impacts Your Negotiation & What To Do About It

Imposter syndrome is a common problem for female physicians, and a huge barrier to successfully negotiating what we’re worth. When we can’t see past our own self-doubt, we amp up the difficulty of what we’re trying to accomplish. 

We have to examine how imposter syndrome is showing up for us, or else we’ll sabotage the negotiation and even the entire trajectory of our careers. 

What are the most surprising ways imposter syndrome manifests? How can we make sure imposter syndrome doesn’t get in our way? 

In this episode, I talk about how to examine and deal with imposter syndrome so that it doesn’t hold us back at the negotiating table. 

Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode 

• How imposter syndrome makes negotiating so much harder 
  In negotiations, we have to convince the other person of not only your skillset, but also the unique qualities and abilities you bring to the table as an individual. If you feel like you’re not enough or that you just got lucky, you’ll make this job harder because you have to convince yourself and them at the same time.
  
  
• Why overachievement can be a sign of imposter syndrome
  Overachievement can be an unexpected and sneaky sign of imposter syndrome. On the surface, it might seem like a good thing, but if it’s driven by not feeling good enough, we’ll burn out. If we feel like we have to try harder just to measure up, we’re doing ourselves a disservice. 
  
  
• How to interrupt our imposter syndrome 
  One of the most common signs of imposter syndrome is feeling like we’ve only come this far because of luck. It’s important to spend time looking at all our accomplishments, and realize that it’s impossible to build a successful medical career on luck. There are so many barriers to becoming an attending physician. The fact that you crossed them is a sign of the value you bring to the table.