Are there any perfectionists in your workplace? You’ve probably come across some over the years, and will agree that being around them can be tiring. They create the same level of urgency around everything that crosses their desks, and often drag their staff into the muck of whatever they’re obsessing over.
If this sounds a bit like you, I’d like you to take heed and give you and your staff a break. Perfectionists can be highly critical and excruciatingly picky. Working for a perfectionist is not only depleting, it can be demoralizing. And if you’re a perfectionist, you are continually exhausted from the never ending barrage of things that are “wrong”or don’t work correctly.
People who work for perfectionists flounder in a pool of not knowing when the next criticism is going to come and how they’re going to handle it when the assault occurs. Importantly, their productivity plummets because they spend more time scurrying to fix whatever irks the boss instead of the work they’re supposed to be doing.
How do you get over a perfectionist boss? It’s not easy, but it is possible. First, you need to have the desire to change. If this is just an intellectual exercise of being less of a perfectionist, it’s probably not going to result in lasting change.
Second, become more mindful so that you can see shades of gray, rather than simply black and white. When you’re mindful, you focus on the present, which gives you a more realistic picture of what’s really going on.
Third, being more realistic means that you can prioritize more effectively. This way, every task or situation that you face does not have the same degree of urgency or importance, and you can become more objective in your evaluation.
Striving for perfection on the road to excellence is a good habit to acquire. But perfection for the sake of perfection misses the mark. It frustrates you, your staff and anyone within earshot. Start today to become a “recovering perfectionist” and let me know how you’re doing.
Have a great day!
