I like Simon, one of the three judges on American Idol. I find his feedback refreshingly honest. While his words may wound egos, they are more valuable than the traditional feel-good, sugar-coated feedback. It’s hard to tell someone they’re not good enough and that their dreams may not 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. Although their feedback often bruised my ego for days—or even months—it inevitably helped me make the right life choices: to improve, change direction, or stay the course with greater intensity. In fact, the boss who was 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 that out. The funny thing? When I was honest with myself, I knew she was right.
Being honest with yourself is one of the greatest challenges in achieving success at work. We all have talents and abilities, but they’re not always aligned with the fields we pursue. Too many people I’ve met suffer from what I call 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 glowing reviews, or the highest pay increases. They view themselves as varsity-level talent, while playing 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%—a B at most schools—was near the class bottom. Accustomed to A’s, my first-quarter grades were a wake-up call. At first, I rationalized that a D at Stanford was like a B elsewhere. But reality prevailed. I wasn’t at another school. If I wanted to compete where I was, I had to use more than high school skills to succeed.
So ask yourself: Are you truly applying yourself? Are you performing at the level required for that raise, promotion, or more fulfilling work? If these are your goals, don’t suffer from AIS. Give yourself some Simon-esque feedback—ego aside.
Asking yourself honestly, “How good am I?” and “Am I in the right field?” can open doors to becoming happier and more successful in your career. Your answers give you choices: stay the course, find a field better suited to your skills, improve your abilities to compete where you are, or change directions entirely.