fbpx
Share:
A woman and Men discussing about work

Do You Feel like a Fraud in the Workplace?

You’re not alone.

I speak to a lot of women in my line of work – be it women at different levels in their career or those from different cultures and nationalities. I have come to the realisation that regardless of where you are from or what kind of role you have, the feeling that you’re a fraud is rampant across women. Ironically, it seems that the more successful a woman is, the more she feels this way.

Imposter syndrome is real, and it can creep up on you at any point in your career. That shrinking feeling while sitting in an important meeting where everyone is speaking with conviction can make you feel like you don’t deserve your role. ‘What am I doing here in this meeting?’ ‘They’re soon going to learn that I don’t deserve this job.’ ‘I am just pretending, they will know.’ I remember when I first created WILD, a platform for women to come together. Having created a small network of 15 women and then losing my job and suffering a breakdown, my confidence was shattered, I had anxiety, and I was full of fear.

Eventually, however, I was able to rebuild my life from the inside out and now work with other women to do the same. What I have realised since then is that success is actually an inside job. To evolve and transform, we need to do the inner work. This is a combination of healing the wreckage of our past, facing fears head on, and breaking through limiting beliefs that hold us back. This is the bedrock to success. 

Imposter syndrome

Having worked on these issues myself, I set out to create WILD – Women in Leadership Deliver. I will never forget its first event back in July 2018. I was hounded by an incessant voice. ‘Who are you to do this? Who are you to stand and feel that you can inspire other women?’ Having discussed this feeling with my own coach, he quickly reminded me, “Emma, you’re someone who has already built a very successful network and been through so much. Just be you, stay true, and share your story.”

And that’s exactly what I did.

I was well within my rights and fully qualified to be standing there, telling my journey of transformation. Yet, that nagging voice, the all-pervasive inner critic sat on my shoulder telling me that I am an imposter and had no place to be there. You would think that a female CEO – mind you, only a mere 3% of CEOs are women – would have it all figured out and wouldn’t feel anything of this sort. Yet, I had a client once who was a CEO and came to me with issues of feeling like a fraud. Being the leader of a business meant that she had no one to confide in and share her feelings. After all, she’s who the whole company looks up to. The effects of this were damaging.

The woman felt an overriding sense of guilt and shame in addition to feeling like an imposter. After working closely together, we got to the root cause of some of the issues, one being something I in fact had faced – being left out of a group at school and then feeling not good enough. As an advocate for gender equality, I often get asked what holds women back the most and my answer is always ourselves! I mean, it’s one thing playing the blame game (that the company we work for doesn’t value women or offer an inclusive culture), but when it comes down to it, what are you doing about you? How are you dealing with those feelings of not being good enough or feeling like a fraud? 

Female Jobs In Dubai

I spoke to a woman the other day. She was a senior leader for an engineering company, and clearly intelligent and qualified at her job. She explained that she is the only woman there and gets scared to speak up or voice her ideas as, deep down, she feels that her contribution is not valid. I told her she needs to understand that she wouldn’t be in that role and have a seat at the table if she wasn’t good enough or qualified. However, if she doesn’t start speaking up, she could easily lose her seat at the table. It’s time to learn how to speak up and with conviction when you do.

Here are three powerful tips to stop feeling like a fraud:

  1. Trust Your Skills: Have confidence in the fact that you’re in the role you are in because you are worthy of being there. You wouldn’t have gotten the job in the first place if you weren’t, therefore, know you deserve to take up space.
  2. Believe in You: Cultivating a positive mindset and changing negative self-talk is crucial in overcoming imposter syndrome. At any given moment, you have the choice to change your thoughts. Pivot from negative self-talk to new empowering thoughts such as, ‘I’ve got this!’
  3. Hone Your Craft: Knowing your subject matter inside out will automatically feed you confidence. You become the go-to person at your workplace. This will add to your credibility and make you feel your ideas and contributions are valid.

One last thing:

Remember, even though you may feel like a fraud on the inside, you can still perform well! 

Emma Burdett is the Founder of WILD (Women in Leadership Deliver) network, keynote speaker, and transformational coach. For more of Emma’s invaluable tips on how to get YOU set up for success and beyond in 2022, check out ‘Uncompromised Life! Mind, Body & You’, an event taking place on January 26, 2022, at 25 Hour Hotel from 8:30am to 10:30am. Register here.

Share:

Our Newsletter

Our Newsletter

Your Female Email

Gaggler your inbox for a 10% discount on your first order!
By clicking ‘Subscribe’ you agree to receive emails from The Gaggler and accept our privacy policy and terms of use.
Share:

Remote Work: Empowering UAE Women

Make this trend work for you.

Ladies, it’s time to say goodbye to stressful commutes to the office and hello to more flexible career options! The rise of remote work across geographies and occupations has been noted the world over. Initially a necessary product of the Covid-19 pandemic, the remote working trend is here to stay providing greater autonomy and, the bonus for women, an opportunity to balance work and life better. The result? A happier and more diverse workforce – basically, a game changer.

A Women’s Career Cycle

The traditional 9-to-5 grind simply didn’t work for working women with personal responsibilities such as family and children, creating a dynamic where 50% to 80% of women drop out of the workforce to have families, with only 20% ever returning back to work once their children are older. And, when women return to the workforce after a significant absence, they aren’t easily able to return to the same career level and face the reality of starting at a few pay grade levels lower than when they left. For women who do return to work, they often struggle to balance their careers with family life, social obligations, and personal interests. But with the rise of remote work, women now have more flexibility to work from the comfort of their own homes, on modified schedules, and without the stress and hassle of commuting to and from a physical office.

Benefits of Remote Working

Companies have recognised the benefits of having a remote workforce. Not only does it save on office space and overhead costs, but it also allows businesses to tap into a larger pool of talent, regardless of location. But it’s not just the employers who benefit from remote work.

Women, in particular, have found that it gives them the flexibility they need to manage their work and personal lives more effectively. A Harvard Business Review study found that women who remote work from home are often more productive and satisfied than those who work in an office. They also have more time to take care of their families, pursue hobbies, and engage in other activities that are important to them.

Of course, remote work isn’t without its challenges. Here, we share some easy-to-implement tips to make the remote working experience a more positive and fulfilling one for any woman.

Top Tips for Remote Work 

Set healthy boundaries: It’s important to have clear and healthy boundaries for yourself and others you work with, particularly in a remote working situation. Simple hacks like designating a workspace that’s just for work, communicating clear working hours to colleagues and family members and sticking to them, and establishing work routines at home that you’d typically observe at the office, are all ways to create a healthy remote working experience.

Connect with your team: Working remotely can be isolating and drastically reduce social interactions that come so easily in an office environment. Frequent communication via email, instant messaging or video conferencing is, therefore, quite important.

Take breaks: Take short, frequent breaks to stretch and recharge during the workday. Breaks help keep you motivated when working from home. And don’t forget to incorporate some self-care during breaks or after working hours!

Pursue hobbies: Remote work gives you back time that you’d otherwise spend commuting. Looked at from a different perspective, it also gives you the freedom to schedule new hobbies, pursue interests and explore passions with all that extra time saved, without sacrificing your career. This also creates that healthy separation between ‘work’ and ‘life’ even when the physical separation between the two no longer exists.

With these tips, you’ll save yourself from burnout!

The Fun in Remote Work

Set your space: Create a workspace that inspires creativity and productivity (hint: no, you can’t use your bed).

Tech like a boss: Invest in the best equipment and high-speed WiFi (no more video call freeze frames or angry laptops – or their owners – throwing a tantrum).

Move it, shake it: We’ve already emphasised the importance of taking breaks to shake off stagnant energy – dance breaks are highly encouraged (bonus points if you bust a move on a conference call).

Coffee, tea & me: If coffee isn’t your jam, keep your mug filled with our natural and organic teas. A sip here, a sip there and you are having the break we’ve already mentioned. Yes, it’s so important to take breaks that we’ve mentioned it 3 times!

article continues below


Remote Work Essentials


GYPSY ROSE HOLISTIC

Energised Essential Oil

AED 75.00

X50

Green Tea Energy Drink

AED 185.00

MOTION TRADING

Rose Quartz Crystal Water Bottle

AED 280.00

BEAUTY TREATS

The Good Mood Cookie

AED 90.00

BEAUTY TREATS

The Energy Cookie

AED 90.00

BEAUTY TREATS

The Brownie Bossbabe

AED 90.00

SAANTE

Lavender & Eucalyptus Candle

AED 100.00

RUT ESSENTIALS

Ylang Ylang Pure Essential Oil

AED 70.00

MEOW YOGA

Aroma Diffuser

AED 70.00

So if you’re a woman who is looking to take control of your career and your life, consider exploring the world of remote work. Doing so may help add the flexibility, autonomy, and balance you’ve been craving for so long in your professional life. You might just find that it’s the perfect fit for you!

The Gaggler team is passionate about finding and sharing great products with our readers. We take pride in researching and testing products to find the best of the best, and we only recommend things that we love and think you will, too.

Share:

Our Newsletter

Our Newsletter

Your Female Email

Gaggler your inbox for a 10% discount on your first order!
By clicking ‘Subscribe’ you agree to receive emails from The Gaggler and accept our privacy policy and terms of use.
Load More