Rebles Guide to PM
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How to Overcome Imposter Syndrome
What is Imposter Syndrome?
Imposter Syndrome is not a medical condition. It is a term for the feeling you have when you believe that you do not really know what you are doing. It is self-doubt.
You know how you feel when you get a new project or a whole lot more responsibility and suddenly you feel you're in the wrong job? It's as if you have to step into someone else's shoes every day as your own just aren't good enough.
You're not alone -- that feeling is Imposter Syndrome.
3 Ways to overcome Imposter Syndrome
In this video, which was filmed at PMI Synergy in London, I share 3 reasons why we can feel like frauds at work and 3 tips to overcome Imposter Syndrome.
It's 16 minutes long, safe for work!
Imposter Syndrome is the feeling of self-doubt you have when you believe you don't really know what you are doing.
Who came up with the concept of Imposter Syndrome?
When psychologist Pauline Clance was in graduate school, she was constantly worrying that she wasn't good enough. She didn't think her performance in exams was adequate. She dwelt on the information she didn't know instead of what she did.
Her friends grew tired of hearing her worries, so she stopped sharing them. She managed to get good grades in her exams, but was still worried that she wasn't measuring up to the achievements of others. Instead of seeing success as the result of skill and effort, she (and others around her) attributed it to luck, timing, or other external factors.
Pauline didn't know it at the time, but she had Imposter Syndrome.
She went on to develop the concept of Impostor Phenomenon with fellow psychologist Susanne Imes. They are widely published on the topic. Although it is commonly called “imposter syndrome,” psychologists originally described it as the impostor phenomenon because it is not a clinical disorder. Both terms are in use today and at work you'll probably hear people call it a syndrome.
What does Imposter Syndrome feel like?
You attend a meeting where the discussion goes over your head and you suddenly feel like an idiot, even though you are supposed to be taking the minutes. You believe that you are in completely the wrong job and the wrong company and you are in no way worthy of holding your current position.
Surely it is only a matter of time before someone notices that you are not up to the job and fires you?
You might be experiencing imposter syndrome if you:
- Attribute your success to luck rather than ability
- Feel anxious about being exposed as 'not good enough
- Over-prepare or overwork to compensate
- Discount praise or positive feedback
- Compare yourself unfavorably to peers
- Set unrealistically high standards and feel disappointed when you don’t meet them.
That's how Imposter Syndrome manifests itself: it undermines your self-confidence. It can hit anyone, at any time.
Remember, Imposter syndrome isn’t a clinical diagnosis. It’s a pattern of thinking. And the good news is: patterns can be changed.
There are loads of stories from men and women struggling with Imposter Syndrome in my book, Overcoming Imposter Syndrome.
Who gets Imposter Syndrome?
We all get it -- men and women. When I speak at conferences about imposter syndrome I ask people in the audience to put up their hand if they have ever felt like a fraud at work, and you know what?
Nearly every hand goes up, every time.
In reality, lots of people feel that they don't measure up. When you take on something new – a new project, a new responsibility – you might be surrounded with people who are subject matter experts or who have been in a similar role as yours for years.
It feels as if they know everything, and you don't know anything at all.
Worry, concern, fear, shame, embarrassment, being overwhelmed: all these are reasons that keep people quiet about their Imposter feelings.
If you are brave enough to ask your colleagues whether they have ever felt as if they are splashing around in the deep end while everyone else swims gracefully by, then you are breaking the silence around Imposter Syndrome.
Go on, ask someone.
When you tell the truth about how you feel, you will encourage other people to do the same. Your truth gives them permission to act in the same way. And that changes things for everyone.
The impact of imposter syndrome on leadership and delivery
Imposter syndrome doesn’t just affect how you feel. It affects how you lead.
You may:
- Delay decisions because you fear getting them wrong
- Over-prepare for meetings and burn yourself out
- Avoid escalating risks because you think you “should have handled it”
- Micromanage to maintain control
- Underplay your authority in stakeholder conversations.
Over time, this can reduce team confidence and slow delivery. And it's not a great feeling for you either. When you second-guess yourself constantly, your team senses uncertainty. If you have to keep checking with the big boss about what to do, or running every decision past a collective, then they'll realize you feel out of your depth -- whether you technically are or not.
Ironically, the coping behaviors you use to protect yourself -- overworking, overchecking, avoiding visibility -- can increase stress and reduce effectiveness.
Confident leadership doesn’t mean knowing everything. It means being comfortable not knowing everything, and still moving forward.
Why imposter syndrome is common in project management
If you’re a project manager, you operate in a role that is almost perfectly designed to trigger imposter thinking! Sorry about that...
You’re accountable for outcomes you don’t directly control. You work across functions where you may not be the subject matter expert. You’re visible to sponsors and leadership. And when something goes wrong, you’re often the first person asked for answers.
In project environments, you may:
- Lead people who are more technically experienced than you (check)
- Make decisions with incomplete information (check)
- Navigate ambiguity and shifting priorities (check)
- Present to executives who challenge your assumptions (check!)
- Take over projects mid-stream and inherit problems (check!!)
All of that creates exposure. And exposure creates vulnerability.
Because project management is about coordination, influence, and judgment (not just technical expertise) it can be easy to undervalue your own contribution. You may think, “Anyone could do this.” That’s rarely true, trust me.
Imposter syndrome thrives in roles where your value isn’t always tangible. That’s why so many capable project professionals quietly struggle with it, myself included.
Is Imposter Syndrome normal?
Feeling like a fraud is (unfortunately) very normal. There is a name for these feelings and by now you know that the name is Imposter Syndrome.
You are not alone in feeling like this, and just knowing that can be a step towards overcoming Imposter Syndrome, regaining your self-confidence and feeling like you have all the skills you need to tackle life at work.
For more tips on how to overcome Imposter Syndrome, read Overcoming Imposter Syndrome.
Do you have imposter syndrome? A quick self-check
Take a moment and reflect on the following statements. Be honest with yourself. No one is listening!
- When I succeed, I feel relief more than pride.
- I worry that people overestimate my abilities.
- I believe I have to work harder than others to maintain credibility.
- I downplay compliments or redirect praise.
- I fear being asked a question I can’t answer in meetings.
- I feel uncomfortable when I’m described as an “expert.”
If you agreed strongly with several of these, you may be experiencing imposter thinking. Or even imposter-ish thinking.
This isn’t about labeling yourself, it’s about awareness. Once you recognize the pattern, you can begin to interrupt it, and help your brain reframe some of your working practices in a way that doesn't make you feel out of your depth from time to time.
Imposter syndrome vs self-doubt – what’s the difference?
Not all self-doubt is unhealthy. In fact, a degree of reflection can improve your performance. And if you know you don't have the skills to do brain surgery, you really shouldn't be doing it! So some self-doubt in your abilities might be appropriate in certain situations. The key difference lies in how you interpret your thoughts.
The table below shows some differences between imposter thinking and healthy self-reflection.
Imposter Thinking Healthy Self-Reflection “I don’t deserve this role.” “What skills should I strengthen in this role?” “I just got lucky.” “Timing helped, but I also worked hard.” Fear of being exposed Willingness to learn and improve Perfection required Progress is acceptable Avoid visibility Seek feedback constructively If your internal dialogue is about exposure rather than development, you’re likely dealing with imposter syndrome -- not constructive self-critique.
Overcoming Imposter Syndrome: A How To Guide
Overcoming Imposter Syndrome explains what Imposter Syndrome is, the symptoms and shares 10 ways to overcome those fraudulent feelings. The book includes stories from men and women who have built their self-confidence, tackled Imposter Syndrome and found their own ways to feel more positive about their performance at work.
Most of the books about Imposter Syndrome explain the symptoms and the rationale behind why we feel like that.
Learning about why we feel like that is important but I wanted to write something practical that would help people make changes to their attitudes and behavior straightaway. The book is full of practical tips from me and people I interviewed.
Helen, one of the people who got an early copy, said, “I am now 58 and retired. I wish someone had given me a book like yours about 25 years ago. I have learnt all the lessons in it the hard way.”
Get the ebook now: Overcoming Imposter Syndrome: Ten Strategies To Stop Feeling Like a Fraud at Work.
Quick Answers
What is imposter syndrome also known as?
Imposter syndrome is also known as imposter phenomenon, fraud syndrome, the imposter experience or imposterism.How do you stop feeling like an imposter?
Stop thinking the thoughts that lead you to believe you aren't good enough.
Recognize your true skills and appreciate the contribution you make.
Understand your real weaknesses and look at ways to plug those gaps.Who suffers from imposter syndrome?
When I speak about imposter syndrome at conferences, almost everyone (men and women) confess to feeling like a fraud at some point in their career. Imposter syndrome is widespread and most people have feelings of self-doubt from time to time.More resources for Imposter Syndrome
- The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women by Valerie Young. (I loved this book.)
- Untamed: Stop pleasing, start living by Glennon Doyle (an inspirational community leader -- follow her on Facebook for more on how she leads grass roots campaigns to truly make a difference)
- Playing Big: A practical guide for women like you by Tara Mohr (whose work I reference in my talk)
- Mentoring is also a good choice if you want to talk things through with someone.
This article first appeared on Rebel's Guide to Project Management and can be read here: How to Overcome Imposter Syndrome
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How to plan career goals
Have you had your annual appraisal yet? Or done them for your own team members?
I won't be doing any this year (which makes a change) but I will be sitting down and thinking carefully about what I want to get out of the year. This year has been a bit meh. Between getting covid, bouts of homeschooling, having to cut my work hours to fit round school, and seemingly endless school holidays it feels like I've barely managed to do any work at all.
And I had big plans, fun plans for my business and some cool projects I wanted to do. Literally anything that wasn't contractually obligated or keeping the lights on didn't get done.
Last year I wrote, "The only way to get what you want is to plan for it. Then follow the plan."
Lol. Like that worked.
So next year, I'm taking personal planning with a pinch of salt. Is it going to be yet another year of 'maintenance'? I truly hope not, and I know that at least having some goals will help me make decisions about how to spend the limited time I do get.
What about you? It is a good time to be thinking about what you want to get out of the next 6-12 months. Is it training? Is it a promotion? More visibility at work? “Better” projects, whatever that means for you?
Watch the free training on (realistic) goal setting - no SMART in sight!
To help you think through what you could achieve next year, and to help you stay on track, watch this free training on setting career goals and download my free Career Planner.
In the video, we talk about quarterly planning, setting goals, action plans, creating a support network to achieve those goals, non-negotiables and setting boundaries to give you every chance of success at achieving what you planned.
You'll learn how to think through what you want to achieve, make a realistic plan and you'll learn about some of the other objectives that project managers are setting themselves. Perhaps one of those will inspire you to hit your professional development targets this year?
Plus listen in to the Q&A as we talk about what's important for project leaders as they build a professional profile and develop their skills with training and more.
Writing down your goals makes a difference
A study from the Dominican University in California carried out by psychology professor Dr. Gail Matthews in the Department of Psychology showed that writing down your goals really does matter. Participants who wrote down their goals were around 44% more likely to achieve or make substantial progress than those who did not (comparing Group 1 of the research 'think about your goals' to Group 4 (write goals, action commitment statements and share goals with a friend). I often see this quoted as 42% online, but my reading of the data available from the study doesn't get me to that number, so I'm not sure what data sets are being compared for that.
Either way, it's a big number...!
You know that if you want to achieve something, you have to plan it out, even if you know that real life might look a bit different. So if you want this year (or next year, or any year) to be a great year for you, career-wise, take some time to think about what those goals could be and how you are going to get there.
Heck, even if you don't much care about having a great year and just want the next 6-12 months to not be awful, think about what that could look like and how you are going to make it so.
I remember my goals for getting through the year when we were parenting two under two were pretty low. So don't think career planning only applies if you have lofty ambitions like achieving your PMP(R) certification or signing up for an MBA!
Get the only Career Planner you'll need
My career planner template will help you work out what you want to achieve.
This document is fast becoming a project management institution! I've put it together the last couple of years (and completed it myself). It's been downloaded hundreds of times and I hope this latest version will be truly useful to you as you plan out what you want to achieve.
Download your copy here.
Why career goals matter more than you think
Setting career goals isn’t just about ambition, it’s about direction.
In project management especially, it’s easy to drift. You take the next assignment. You accept the promotion that appears. You follow the opportunities that come your way. Before long, you’ve built a career by reaction rather than intention.
Clear career goals change that dynamic. They act as a filter for decision-making. When a new role, certification, or side project appears, you can ask: does this move me closer to where I want to be?
Goals also increase motivation. Research in performance psychology consistently shows that people perform better when working toward defined outcomes. Even loosely defined long-term targets improve focus and persistence. Without that anchor, it’s harder to justify stretching yourself, taking risks, or investing in development.
There’s also a confidence effect. When you articulate what you’re working toward, you start to see patterns. You recognize gaps in your experience. You identify skills to strengthen. Instead of feeling behind, you feel informed.
For project professionals, this matters because the field is broad. You could move into PMO leadership, program management, portfolio strategy, consultancy, training, tools specialization, or executive roles. Without goals, you may unintentionally narrow your options, or miss opportunities aligned with your strengths.
Career goals don’t have to be rigid or permanent. They evolve as your interests and life circumstances change. But having them written down makes your development intentional instead of accidental.
If you want your career to feel purposeful rather than reactive, goals aren’t optional, they’re foundational. So how are you going to approach yours this year?
This article first appeared on Rebel's Guide to Project Management and can be read here: How to plan career goals
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How to simplify change management
In this webinar on
change management methodology, experienced practitioner Nicola Graham shares her tips for a framework to simplifychange management at work.Here's a synopsis (yes, I used AI to pull out the key highlights!) There are captions on the YouTube video if you prefer to read along as you watch.
Simplifying
Change Management : Practical Approaches That Actually WorkIn this session, the focus is on simplifying
change management so it feels practical rather than overwhelming. Change is often presented as something complex and methodology-heavy, but the core message here is that it doesn’t need to be.At its simplest,
change management is about helping people move from where they are now to where they need to be, and making sure the intended benefits of the project are actually realized. Installing a solution is not the same as implementing it successfully. The technical delivery might be complete, but unless people adopt the new way of working, the change hasn’t truly happened.This distinction is central to the discussion: project delivery and change adoption are related but different. Projects install things.
Change management ensures those things are used effectively.Why Change Feels Hard
A significant part of the session explores why change feels difficult, not just operationally, but emotionally.
People don’t resist change for no reason. They resist because:
- They are comfortable with the current way of working.
- They fear losing competence, influence, or familiarity.
- They’ve experienced poorly managed change before.
- They don’t understand why the change is necessary.
Resistance may show up as direct pushback, but it can also be subtle: disengagement, missed meetings, minimal effort, or silence.
One of the key things you can do is reframe resistance. Instead of seeing it as obstruction, see it as useful information. Resistance tells you where people are uncertain, worried, or unconvinced. If you treat it as feedback instead of friction, you can address it constructively.
Communication as the Core Lever
Communication is positioned as the single most powerful tool in simplifying change.
But not just any communication.
Effective change communication must:
- Clearly explain why the change is happening.
- Articulate what will be different.
- Clarify what it means for individuals.
- Be repeated consistently.
- Allow space for questions.
The emphasis is on clarity and repetition. One announcement is not enough. People need to hear messages multiple times and in multiple formats.
The session also highlights the importance of tailoring messages. Different stakeholders care about different things. A senior leader may care about strategic alignment and performance. A frontline team member may care about workload and day-to-day impact. If you send the same message to everyone, you risk landing nowhere.
Simplifying change means identifying what matters to each audience and communicating directly to that concern.
Read next: Top Change Management Books (I update this one regularly with new editions)
Practical Tools to Keep Change Manageable
Rather than introducing heavyweight models, the session focuses on simple, practical change management tools that can be applied immediately.
These include:
Stakeholder Identification and Mapping
Understanding who is affected by the change and assessing their influence and interest helps you prioritize effort. Not everyone needs the same level of engagement.
Clear Role Definition
People need to understand what is expected of them in the change. Ambiguity fuels resistance. Clarity reduces anxiety.
Early Engagement
Involving people early — even just to gather input — increases buy-in. When individuals feel heard, they are more likely to support the outcome, even if the final decision doesn’t fully align with their preferences.
Feedback Loops
Change is not one-directional communication. Creating structured opportunities for feedback helps surface concerns early and prevents issues from becoming entrenched.
Measuring Adoption
It’s not enough to measure whether the project is complete. You need to measure whether people are actually using the new process, system, or behavior. Adoption indicators are just as important as delivery milestones.
These tools are deliberately simple. The message throughout is that you do not need a complex framework to manage change effectively — you need focus, clarity, and consistency.
Leadership and Visibility
Another theme in the session is visible leadership.
People look to leaders during change. If leaders appear disengaged, inconsistent, or unclear, confidence drops quickly.
Visible support includes:
- Talking about the change regularly.
- Modeling the new behaviors.
- Reinforcing key messages.
- Addressing concerns directly.
Leaders don’t need to be change experts, but they do need to be present.
Keeping It Proportionate
One of the most practical takeaways from the session is the idea of proportionality.
Not every change requires a full-scale change program. The size and complexity of your approach should match the scale and risk of the change.
Small process adjustments may only require targeted communication and quick training. Larger transformations may require structured engagement plans and more formal adoption tracking.
Simplifying
change management means asking: What is the minimum effective action required to support this change?The Bottom Line
The overall message is reassuring:
change management doesn’t have to be intimidating.At its heart, it is about:
- Explaining why change matters.
- Understanding how people are affected.
- Communicating clearly and repeatedly.
- Listening and responding.
- Checking whether adoption is happening.
When you focus on these fundamentals, change becomes less about complex theory and more about practical leadership.
If you approach change with empathy, clarity, and structured follow-through, you dramatically increase the likelihood that your projects will deliver not just outputs — but real, sustained benefits.
This article first appeared on Rebel's Guide to Project Management and can be read here: How to simplify change management
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How to share project status without inviting scope creep
No one likes scope creep. The problem is that it rarely arrives labelled as such. It doesn’t announce itself with flashing lights. It shows up quietly — as a small request, a minor tweak, a quick “can we just…?”
Individually, those requests feel reasonable. Of course we can adjust that. Of course we can add this. Of course we can squeeze that in. But left unchecked, those small additions compound. One tweak becomes three meetings. A minor change becomes a revised timeline.
That’s exactly why stakeholder updates matter so much.
They act as guardrails. A structured update keeps decisions visible, tradeoffs honest, and next steps clear. If stakeholder engagement is about helping people feel informed and involved, then clarity is what prevents the project from turning into a well-intentioned but never-ending discussion.
Read next: How to manage project scope without scope creep
The goal of a stakeholder update is clarity
A stakeholder update isn’t a diary entry. It’s not a place to prove how hard the team is working. Instead, you need to see this as a short, structured message that answers the questions stakeholders are already thinking.
It should be questions like what’s changed since last time? What decisions were made? What risks are on the horizon? What help is needed? What happens next?
Include a RAG status as well, as these help flag problems in a very visual way.
Those questions need to be answered here because those answers are consistently in the same place, and scope creep has fewer places to hide. Instead, people can see what’s in scope, what’s been deprioritised, and what would have to move if something new is added.
Name risks early, even if they seem ‘small’
It really doesn’t matter how ‘small’ small is; it’s a big deal. In my experience, this is the part people skip because they don’t want to sound negative (or rude), but at the same time, it’s also where scope creep can be prevented with one sentence.
Here’s an example. Imagine an ecommerce expansion project to expand our small business sales online as we now have a Forth Worth branch. Maybe the shipping is ready, the website updates are nearly done, and marketing wants a launch date for the socials.
But while the tech is almost ready and the new draft website pages look great, there are some risks the project is carrying that mean we aren’t at the point of pressing publish just yet.
A good project status update would flag that there are still compliance and operational checks that need ownership. In our ecommerce expansion example, that could include:
- Finalising payment gateway and merchant account approvals (for example, Stripe, PayPal, or your acquiring bank and getting that signed off by the Finance team)
- Confirming data protection and consumer protection requirements (such as state-level privacy laws in this US example, and having the data protection officer sign them off)
- Reviewing fulfilment, shipping, and returns policies (including cross-border duties or courier SLAs with the procurement and ops teams)
- Clarifying state or regional tax obligations (for example, understanding sales tax in Texas as we’ll now be trading there)
- Securing any required licences or regulatory registrations (such as resale certificates or sector-specific permits).
These aren’t dramatic risks. They’re the kind that quietly sit in the background, until they suddenly become launch blockers. Calling them out early isn’t pessimism. It’s control, and it helps reduce the ‘can we just…’ type requests that seem to get more and more common the closer we get to go live.
Use the same simple format every time
A repeatable format makes updates easier to write and easier to read. It also makes it harder for random extras to slip in unnoticed. So what would a straightforward structure look like?
- Start with progress, but keep it brief.
- Follow that with decisions (updates tend to get powerful at this point)
- Add tradeoffs and risks. If something is going to affect timing, cost, quality, or workload, call it out plainly
- Remember, someone should always know what’s expected of them after reading the update.
My simple status update template will help.
Include the “If this, then that” for new requests
Stakeholders will always have new ideas. While some will be genuinely useful, you don’t want those ideas being handled to the point where they're blowing up the plan. Your one-sentence catch-all is: “This request is possible, but it will require X, and it will affect Y.”
Then name the tradeoff. Most stakeholders can accept tradeoffs, if they know what their options are, and that helps them make a decision. What they actually struggle with is surprise.
Scope creep rarely announces itself as ‘creep’. It shows up as enthusiasm, urgency, or someone trying to be helpful. A stakeholder update gives you a neutral place to make scope visible.
When what’s in scope, what’s at risk, and what the tradeoffs are written down in the same format every time, new ideas don’t automatically expand the project. They trigger a conversation. That conversation is where you protect time, budget, and focus. Without that structure, scope expands quietly. With it, scope becomes a decision.
Bring it back to control
Scope creep isn’t usually caused by difficult stakeholders (and I’d challenge whether they are being difficult anyway – it’s normally behavior that is challenging, rather than a person being inherently a problem).
Scope creep is caused by unclear visibility. When people don’t know what’s already committed, what’s at risk, or what will move if something new is added, they default to optimism. A strong stakeholder update replaces optimism with clarity.
You don’t need a longer report. You don’t need more meetings. Consistency is your friend. A short, structured update that highlights progress, decisions, risks, and tradeoffs is one of the simplest tools you have to protect your project.
That gives you the context stakeholders need, and the groundwork for you to have a respectful conversation about what gives if something new comes along.
When stakeholders can see the boundaries, they (tend to) respect them, or at least challenge with purpose rather than blind optimism. And when tradeoffs are explicit, scope stops creeping and starts being managed.
This article first appeared on Rebel's Guide to Project Management and can be read here: How to share project status without inviting scope creep
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10 PowerPoint timeline tips that will save you hours
Wondering how to use Office Timeline? If you want to get the best out of this PowerPoint plugin that creates project schedules, easy Gantt charts, roadmaps, plans on a page and more, this is for you!
[lasso id="40125" label="" link_id="303604" ref="ot"]Creating professional timelines in PowerPoint shouldn't take your entire afternoon. This free collaborative webinar between Rebel's Guide to Project Management and Office Timeline shows you how to transform timeline creation from frustration to efficiency.
Elizabeth Harrin, author and APM Fellow from Rebel's Guide to Project Management, shares why timeline communication matters for stakeholder buy-in. Then Office Timeline founder Eddy Malik demonstrates 10 proven techniques to create those timelines quickly and professionally.
Perfect for project managers who want to spend less time on timeline creation and more time on strategic work.
What you'll learn:
? Why timeline communication is critical for stakeholder confidence
? 3 data import secrets that eliminate manual timeline building
? Swimlane and advanced formatting shortcuts for clarity
? Fast recoloring, grouping, and moving content techniquesThis article first appeared on Rebel's Guide to Project Management and can be read here: 10 PowerPoint timeline tips that will save you hours