American Idol Syndrome

I like Simon, one of three judges on American Idol. I find his feedback refreshingly honest. And while his words startle me with their ego wounding potential, the traditional feel-good, let-you-down-easy, sugar-coated feedback is not much of a gift. It's hard to tell someone they're not good enough and their dreams are not going to happen, at least in this venue. But not telling them is no gift either. Some contestants rise to the challenges he throws at them. Some don't. And, some can't. Which one are you?

The people who influenced me most in my career were those who gave me the hardest critiques. Stricken with a bruised-ego for days, or on occasion for months, inevitably their feedback helped me make the right life choices to improve, change direction, or stay the course with intensity. In fact, the boss who was the hardest on me is the one I thank the most. Good was not good enough if I was capable of better, and she was quick to point out when that was. No sugar coating from her. And the funny thing? When I was honest with myself, I knew she was right.

Being honest with yourself is one of the challenges to winning at working. We all have talents and abilities, but they're not always in the areas we pursue at work. Too many people I've run across in my career have American Idol Syndrome (AIS). Like Idol contestants auditioning with little or no singing ability, these people believe they are good at what they do. They can't understand why they don't get the promotion, the outstanding review, or the highest increases. They view themselves as varsity team material, but they play with junior varsity skills.

When I was a freshman at Stanford, I got a D in biology. Stanford graded on a bell-curve, so an 84% that might traditionally put me in a B category, was near the class bottom. Accustomed to A's, first quarter grades woke me up. At first, I rationalized a D at Stanford was an A or a B at most any other school. But, reality prevailed. I wasn't at another school. If I was going to compete at the school I was at, it was time to use more than high school skills to bring results.

Are you applying yourself? Are you as good as you could be to get the raise, the promotion, or the more interesting work? If these are things you want, don't suffer from AIS. Give yourself some Simon-esk feedback. Ego aside. A Simon-esk answer to the questions, "how good are you?" and "are you in the right field?" offers you a chance at becoming happier and more successful at working. The answers give you choices: you can stay the course; find a playing field at your skill level; improve your skills to compete where you are; or change directions.

(c) 2004 Nan S. Russell. All rights reserved.

Sign up to receive Nan's free biweekly eColumn at www.winningatworking.com. Nan Russell has spent over twenty years in management, most recently with QVC as a Vice President. She has held leadership positions in Human Resource Development, Communication, Marketing and line Management. Nan has a B.A. from Stanford University and M.A. from the University of Michigan. Currently working on her first book, Winning at Working: 10 Lessons Shared, Nan is a writer, columnist, small business owner, and on-line instructor. Contact Nan at nan@nanrussell.com.

---

Factual Employment Screening Part 1

We have all heard in recent years that the need... Read More

Job Offer Negotiations: Getting What You Want

You have worked hard at finding your next job. You... Read More

Networking Mistakes and How You Can Avoid Them

'Fear of rejection' is the major reason why individuals looking... Read More

Those Little Things

Moving to another state meant finding a new dentist. I... Read More

Cross Cultural Interviews

At this moment in time, the increase in cross border... Read More

Nonverbal Interview Behavior

Non-verbal interview behavior can drown out your verbal self-presentation.Practice interviewing... Read More

Don?t Discount the Temporary Position Interview

If you think, 'it's just an interview for a temp... Read More

Ten Great Careers For Single Parents

The challenges of raising a child by yourself, whether you're... Read More

Cracking the Connection Code: Networking for the Introverted

We've all heard it before: "Just get out there and... Read More

Ten Great Careers That Don?t Require A Four Year Degree

One of the great myths associated with the "American Dream"... Read More

Do Your Very Best in All Things -- Because Someone Is Looking....

Your job is to rise ABOVE the challenge. Do more... Read More

Overwhelmed and Overworked: The Myth of American Productivity

Employment finally seemed back on track during the first few... Read More

Job Interviews & the Magic of Music

Can music help you with your next job interview? It... Read More

The Six Figure Job Search

Before we start discussing how to search for a six... Read More

Women Who Quit Work Abrubtly After Childbirth - Are You the Type?

According to statistics one out of every five pregnant women... Read More

Self Describing Skills - Key Strengths

You need to be the best you can at describing... Read More

Bullseye Interviewing

An interview is much like a blind date. You have... Read More

Career Job Satisfaction - Get Off the Treadmill - Exit Your Rat Race!

Get Off the Treadmill - Exit Your Rat Race!We can... Read More

What You Should Never Put on Your Resume

Liars Get Caught! What NOT to Put on Your Resume"Everybody... Read More

Avoiding Tire Kickers as Job Seekers

With the economy heating up and employment prospects opening up... Read More

Telecommuting Website (Part One)

"I've heard you talk about building a website to get... Read More

Resumes Arent Important - They are Everything When it Comes to Getting an Interview

Employers and recruiters receive hundreds of resumes for every position... Read More

No Degree, No Problem

According to a recent survey, 52% of job candidates polled... Read More

Great Salary Negotiation Tips

11 Commandments For Smart Negotiating1 - BE PREPARED. The... Read More

Common Resume Myths & Misconceptions

For the person crafting their first résumé the task can... Read More

9 Secrets to Career Success

Are you miserable at your job (or what you are... Read More

Workplace Melodrama--A Flair For The Dramatic

A flair for the dramatic is a theatrical term used... Read More

How to Reach Outside Yourself to Advance Your Career

When flipping the channels of your TV, you are bound... Read More

The Executive Resume - Moving Beyond Accomplishments

There is a major difference between conventional resumes and executive... Read More

Im just me - An Overview of an Web er.. Designer, Developer, Consultant and Friend

I am going to give you a breakdown of my... Read More

10 Key Career Success Questions

At some point in every professional or managerial career, there... Read More

Writing Resumes

Use a resume as a foot in the doorWhen you... Read More

3 Creative Job Search Tactics

It's a fact: the best jobs attract loads of competition.... Read More