As Product Marketing Managers (PMMs), we often step into roles during turbulent times, where our primary duty becomes mending broken processes. “PMMs are meant to feel imposter syndrome; it’s in their nature,” says Hattie, who will be featured in the next PMM Talk series.

Is this surprising? Not really. Many of my friends are either thriving in marketing or burning out — or sometimes both. Hence, I felt compelled to explore imposter syndrome, understand its roots, and discuss how we can manage it to advance our careers.

Deep Dive: The Imposter Phenomenon

Imposter syndrome (IS), initially termed the imposter phenomenon, impacts a significant portion of professionals. 85% of UK adults confess to feeling inadequate or incompetent at work, and nearly 70% believe they don’t deserve their successes (TheHubEvents, 2019).

This phenomenon is characterized by feelings of inadequacy and fraudulence, even amidst a track record of success. It’s particularly prevalent among young professionals, affecting approximately one-third of them (HBR, 2023).

Self-Diagnosis

Have you recently started a new job, yet feel unprepared for tasks that you’ve excelled at before? 🔴 (Red flag.) Or perhaps you're a skilled public speaker, but public speaking opportunities still fill you with dread? 🔴 (Red flag.)

As Amina Aitsi-Selmi notes in The Success Trap (2022):

Common beliefs to people having IS are:

• People perceive your abilities as exaggerated.

• There’s a fear of being exposed as a fraud.

• A tendency to downplay achievements.

• Difficulty internalizing success.

• Attributing success to others’ judgments rather than your skills.

• A belief that not landing a new role or promotion brings relief.

It’s a common experience in new roles, feeling you don’t belong and that others could perform better.

Are Some Environments More Prone To IS Than Others?

Here’s a personal story: Throughout my career, I’ve encountered IS repeatedly. In university, I always felt my grades didn’t reflect my talent but rather my effort. I believed everyone else around me was inherently smarter.

At Cisco, I feared I wouldn’t succeed due to my non-technical background. “Why would anyone need someone like me in a tech role?” I thought.

Working at Speckle, an engineering-led startup, I grappled with feelings of inadequacy. Despite being the only marketer on the team, I doubted my contributions due to my lack of an engineering background.

I later realized much of this was a mental barrier, affecting my performance and confidence. It seems that women in tech, particularly in STEM fields, are often more susceptible to these feelings than their male counterparts.

Three Steps You Can Take To Fight IS

My biggest advice to anyone navigating imposter syndrome is to take a moment to assess your current situation. An internal audit is necessary! If you’ve identified - and are aware - of your imposter syndrome, that’s the biggest step towards overcoming it. Below, 3 actionable steps you can start taking today to fight against imposter syndrome:

1. Build Self-Awareness: Identify your feelings of IS. Understanding that these perceptions are largely mental is your first step towards overcoming them. Reflect on your self-worth and contributions to start this internal audit.
   

2. Track Your Success: Document your achievements, however small. Celebrate milestones and gather evidence of your positive impact. This not only boosts your confidence but also gives you concrete points to leverage during performance reviews. Consider questions like:

   • What are you most proud of?

   • What initiatives have you successfully led?

   • Which processes have you improved?
     

3. Seek Feedback: Regularly request performance feedback from colleagues, managers, or mentors. Knowing areas for improvement can guide you, and positive reinforcement can greatly boost your morale. Questions to consider include:

   • How did you find my approach to [insert project name]?

   • What can I do today to move closer to my goals?

   • On a scale from 1-10, how confident are you in my abilities to achieve [insert goal]?

And remember, asking for feedback isn't a sign of weakness—it's a step towards growth!

As always, feel free to hit reply if you’d like to discuss or share your experience.