Like any extreme trait, perfectionism can be a double-edged sword. Having high standards and being hardworking can help someone stand out in a crowded field, and their tenacity can help them improve their skills over time. And, to an extent, being very conscientious can help avoid errors.
How Perfectionists Can Get Out of Their Own Way
Five ways they self-sabotage, and how to stop.
April 02, 2018
Hans Blossey/Getty Images
Summary.
If you’re struggling to let go of some of your perfectionistic tendencies, or managing someone who is, it can be helpful to remember the ways perfectionists can self-sabotage in the workplace. Among these are struggling to make decisions (because none of them seem optimal), worrying over sunk costs, avoiding challenges (to avoid failure), applying excessively high standards to others, and ruminating about failures or weaknesses. All of these will hurt performance at work. To overcome these kinds of challenges, perfectionists can develop heuristics for faster decision-making, focus on learning from past successes, try to focus on improving by 1% rather than being totally perfect, and learn strategies to disrupt rumination.
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