Are you trying to be perfect at work? Watch out because this can drive you crazy and actually make you very unhappy at work.
I used to drive myself crazy making sure my team’s deliverables were 100% perfect for our client. Unfortunately, my team didn’t have much fun working for me because I created a lot of stress. I almost had a nervous breakdown trying to keep my team operating exactly how my client wanted things to be. I didn’t realize that it was only another woman on my team and I that had this perfectionist mindset until my male manager pulled us aside and told both of us one day, “You know things don’t have to be perfect.”
Striving for perfection is actually one of those things that you think would be a great strength to have as a female leader but it can be especially negative when managing men who don’t have the same concern for perfection. After my male boss told me not to be perfect, I realized that men don’t strive for perfection like women often do. The other woman working for me and I eventually moved positions and two men took our place. They laugh, have fun and don’t stress about making things perfect. And guess what? The ship doesn’t sink.
We are all imperfect and trying to get to perfect can come with a lot of stress. Also, perfection kills creativity, which is very important when managing a team. Here are some ways you can start moving away from perfection:
- Make a deadline for your task. When the time comes, move onto the next task even if you haven’t finished the current task yet. Settle for as good as can be in the time available in order to not spend countless hours trying to make it perfect. If you need to, you can always return to the task at a later time with a fresh perspective.
- Set realistic expectations and goals. Make sure you don’t set arbitrary deadlines for yourself for no reason.
- Ask for an extension. I know, it’s hard because it shows that you aren’t perfect. But, usually there is no negative side effect for asking for an extension because it shows that you really care. (Just don’t make a habit of constantly missing deadlines, which can ultimately ruin your trust and reputation. Make sure you know the difference between a hard deadline and a soft deadline.)
If you enjoyed this article, make sure you download a free chapter of my brand new book out very soon! Click here to register for your free chapter today.
