Perfectionism at Work: How to Manage It?
5 May 2014
Read by 3944 persons
I'm often called a perfectionist. What can I do? Should I abandon my love of a job well done? Should I stop noticing what's wrong? I work with a perfectionist who doesn't let anything slide, to the point of discouraging me. Can I do something? If I can adapt, how should I do it?
If I'm a perfectionist, I'm well aware of it because people constantly tell me, often reproachfully. Perfectionism isn't really a flaw, but rather the downside of a valuable quality: the love of a job well done. Abandoning this quality for lazy slackness is both irresponsible and senseless. Preventing it from becoming obsessive is the essential condition for its growth and its positive impact on individual and collective work.
Here are some reflexes to adopt that can help me fight this problem:
- The first thing is to listen to those who call me a perfectionist and accept that this label isn't a quality, but the downside of a quality.
- Always ask myself about the essentials when I undertake something. The essential question is indeed that of the essentials. What's the urgency of the moment? Of all I have to do, what's most important? Answering these questions sometimes requires forcing myself not to undertake certain tasks that have become more familiar and habitual to me. This question also requires always keeping in mind my professional objective, whether individual or collective.
- Before starting my workday, make a list of what I need to do, without spending too much time on it, simply noting keywords. If I'm afraid of spending too much time on a task (a major flaw of a perfectionist), I decide how much time I should spend based on other priorities. Starting with this overall vision will prevent me from getting lost in the details of step one and regretting not having been able to do everything at the end of the day.
- Do I really have time to focus on aesthetics? A beautiful Excel spreadsheet, an impeccable Word document, etc. I need to spend more time on substance than form. Form remains important but is often very secondary, especially with a non-perfectionist boss!
- Accept focusing my efforts on what truly falls under my job description in order to delegate what I continue to do but that doesn't fall under it.
- How do others do it? I may be spending too much time doing things. Do I have the right tool, the right method? I must consider that others may do it differently, just as well, or even better than me. I must learn to work faster.
If I work with a perfectionist, I quickly find out and suffer from it in a certain way: I have to redo documents I send ten times; everything is reviewed in the smallest details; it's never good enough; the first thing spotted is a mistake; meetings drag on, etc. Working with a perfectionist isn't easy for anyone but can be very useful for someone who can gain precision and patience. Without wanting to directly change a perfectionist, I can adapt and eventually influence them in the right direction by reassuring them.
Here are some ideas that can help:
- First, avoid judging the person too quickly because doing so can make them defensive, and cooperation will be even more difficult. Patience is therefore rule number one, which will allow our mutual taming, essential for mutually beneficial influences. Because the perfectionist is afraid: afraid of doing a bad job, of not meeting the demands, of not pleasing.
- Find an interest in working with this person. What can I learn from them, without necessarily becoming like them? What do they do well? What are their qualities? Without hypocrisy, tell them what you really think of their work.
- Look at this person's work in a very objective and factual way, and contribute to it in a pragmatic, efficient, and above all, imperfect way. This is the best way for them to realize for themselves that there's more than one way to do a good job. They will find a real interest in working with me, especially when it's necessary to save time and innovate. By taking initiatives that they may consider positive, the perfectionist will understand that they can count on me and will gradually dare to entrust me with some of their tasks.
- Once this person knows me a little better and trusts me, use humor to encourage them to compliment my work and encourage me. If encouragement still doesn't come, I ask for it and say I need it.
- Finally, once our modus vivendi is established, do well and mark the difference between what is essential and what is detail, which they love so much. I may even have the freedom to tell them what's not essential, and they will accept it.
Perfectionism is a flaw very deeply rooted in the person. It's neither possible nor good to suppress it violently. To preserve the love of a job well done and the energy they dedicate to it, the person who has this flaw must gradually reassure themselves of their ability to do better while doing it differently.
Philippelaurent.org
If I'm a perfectionist, I'm well aware of it because people constantly tell me, often reproachfully. Perfectionism isn't really a flaw, but rather the downside of a valuable quality: the love of a job well done. Abandoning this quality for lazy slackness is both irresponsible and senseless. Preventing it from becoming obsessive is the essential condition for its growth and its positive impact on individual and collective work.
Here are some reflexes to adopt that can help me fight this problem:
- The first thing is to listen to those who call me a perfectionist and accept that this label isn't a quality, but the downside of a quality.
- Always ask myself about the essentials when I undertake something. The essential question is indeed that of the essentials. What's the urgency of the moment? Of all I have to do, what's most important? Answering these questions sometimes requires forcing myself not to undertake certain tasks that have become more familiar and habitual to me. This question also requires always keeping in mind my professional objective, whether individual or collective.
- Before starting my workday, make a list of what I need to do, without spending too much time on it, simply noting keywords. If I'm afraid of spending too much time on a task (a major flaw of a perfectionist), I decide how much time I should spend based on other priorities. Starting with this overall vision will prevent me from getting lost in the details of step one and regretting not having been able to do everything at the end of the day.
- Do I really have time to focus on aesthetics? A beautiful Excel spreadsheet, an impeccable Word document, etc. I need to spend more time on substance than form. Form remains important but is often very secondary, especially with a non-perfectionist boss!
- Accept focusing my efforts on what truly falls under my job description in order to delegate what I continue to do but that doesn't fall under it.
- How do others do it? I may be spending too much time doing things. Do I have the right tool, the right method? I must consider that others may do it differently, just as well, or even better than me. I must learn to work faster.
If I work with a perfectionist, I quickly find out and suffer from it in a certain way: I have to redo documents I send ten times; everything is reviewed in the smallest details; it's never good enough; the first thing spotted is a mistake; meetings drag on, etc. Working with a perfectionist isn't easy for anyone but can be very useful for someone who can gain precision and patience. Without wanting to directly change a perfectionist, I can adapt and eventually influence them in the right direction by reassuring them.
Here are some ideas that can help:
- First, avoid judging the person too quickly because doing so can make them defensive, and cooperation will be even more difficult. Patience is therefore rule number one, which will allow our mutual taming, essential for mutually beneficial influences. Because the perfectionist is afraid: afraid of doing a bad job, of not meeting the demands, of not pleasing.
- Find an interest in working with this person. What can I learn from them, without necessarily becoming like them? What do they do well? What are their qualities? Without hypocrisy, tell them what you really think of their work.
- Look at this person's work in a very objective and factual way, and contribute to it in a pragmatic, efficient, and above all, imperfect way. This is the best way for them to realize for themselves that there's more than one way to do a good job. They will find a real interest in working with me, especially when it's necessary to save time and innovate. By taking initiatives that they may consider positive, the perfectionist will understand that they can count on me and will gradually dare to entrust me with some of their tasks.
- Once this person knows me a little better and trusts me, use humor to encourage them to compliment my work and encourage me. If encouragement still doesn't come, I ask for it and say I need it.
- Finally, once our modus vivendi is established, do well and mark the difference between what is essential and what is detail, which they love so much. I may even have the freedom to tell them what's not essential, and they will accept it.
Perfectionism is a flaw very deeply rooted in the person. It's neither possible nor good to suppress it violently. To preserve the love of a job well done and the energy they dedicate to it, the person who has this flaw must gradually reassure themselves of their ability to do better while doing it differently.
Philippelaurent.org
