Take it easy on your perfectionist inclinations at Work!!

Are you a perfectionist? A healthy balance of perfectionism is usually a good thing. As a professional, you want to give 100 percent at your job. You want to make sure that your clients and all key stakeholders are happy and that any task you are handed is completed to high standards. But for some professionals with perfectionist tendencies, this can provide extra stress. The need to create perfection at every turn starts to impact your productivity, stopping you from getting things done and leading to a string of missed deadlines., Gradually it starts to impact your sleep and health, thereby turning you into an irritated nagging individual.

Like so much in life there’s a balance to achieve, a level of output quality that you can live with and those around you are happy is at times good to go with. If you’re struggling to control your own perfectionism, here’s how to rein it back in.

Use your skill set wisely.

Perfectionists have a special skill set that allows them to provide high quality, and a high level of detail at their jobs. While we all have some level of perfectionist tendencies, some find it harder to control the tendency than others. Determine when it is appropriate for you to use your perfectionist tendencies to their full potential.

Learning to say No

There are positive and negative ways to say no, of course, so learn how to turn down work that you can’t handle with grace, professionally and positively.

Stick to the objective in Hand.

Most of the time the important thing is getting things done, something finished, rather than aiming for perfection. At the end of the day every task is different. Some projects demand total perfection, others are more forgiving and just need to be done to a standard that’s good enough. Knowing the difference can change a perfectionist’s life for the better. Having a solid, detailed brief and a strict timescale for a project helps perfectionists reel themselves in and keeps other people’s expectations under control.

Learning to delegate

It is just not possible to do everything on your own. Delegating to other people has considerable business value. Making them feel trusted and respected, helping them to grow in their role, feel more confident and take their skills to the next level. It’s really important not to criticize colleagues whose work is less than your version of perfect.

Knowing everyone is different

It’s important to understand that everybody is different. When you understand other people’s motivations and working styles, it helps you treat people with more respect and also helps you dial down the enormous amounts of pressure you apply to yourself.

Communications Team
The communications team at ManpowerGroup publishes incisive blogs, articles, and white papers that are deeply rooted in the developments of the world of work. If there is a topic you would want us to address, please contact us at [email protected].
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