I read an article that touted the many reasons overachievers frequently under-deliver. I admit it; the article rankled. Perhaps it had that effect because I am one of those overachievers. It always hurts to have one’s flaws paraded before the public and to have them used as reasons to say “avoid hiring this person!”
- “They display an overwhelming need to please.” I confess I do tend to try to please people. It has nothing to do with being an overachiever. It has to do with the fact that I dislike confrontation. The article, though, posits that overachievers are this way because they receive too much praise as children. Perhaps they do. I wasn’t one of them. I always was told to do my best. I was the one who raised unrealistic expectations for myself, not other people.
To help overachievers overcome this mentality, the excessive praise has to be stripped away. Congratulate them on a job well done but encourage them to move onto the next project. Force them into projects that make them uncomfortable or require them to have an opinion. Make them do things that have subjective outcomes.
For me, those subjective things were and are art and poetry. There is no pleasing everyone. Everybody has an opinion. To do art as an overachiever is to learn that the world isn’t tidy and doesn’t operate according to checkboxes. It’s to begin to learn to stand on one’s own two feet. - “They fear failure.” Again, this can be true. Perfectionists and overachievers often are paralyzed by a fear of failure. I pose the argument this way: would you prefer to do nothing and be filled with regret or would you prefer to do something even if you fail? As a side note, most overachievers have a competitive streak. Tap into it, and their fear of failure will diminish.
- “They exhibit paralysis by analysis.” This is similar to the fear of failure, but the article suggests it results in an inability to prioritize. I posit: what overachiever in junior high or high school doesn’t have to learn to prioritize? Some homework takes longer than others. Teach kids to prioritize when they’re young, and they’re less likely to be paralyzed by analysis when they’re older. If the problem is with an employee who exhibits the trait, it’s time for that employee to learn some time management skills. Force him or her into situations that require prioritization and delegation.
- “Their course is set in stone.” Overachievers can become myopic when focusing on a singular goal. This may be one reason why they need to be encouraged to explore other avenues of study and to pick up a new hobby. Ask them to exercise their brains in other ways. Force them to study the world from a different perspective. You want to turn an overachiever into an achiever? Dump them in foreign territory. Provide no direction. Tell them to find their way out.
- “They refuse help.” It’s true; overachievers and perfectionists can be a stubborn lot. They’ll get to the end of themselves before they ask for help. Let them do that a few times. It’s good for their egos. Let them see that they need others. Let them figure out they don’t have all the answers. Maybe even let them reside in a situation for which they are never, ever going to be prepared.
This has to be done carefully; overachievers shouldn’t be left to their own devices for months at a time. Perhaps one of the best ways to get them to accept help is to make them part of a collaborative effort. The work cannot and will not get done unless the overachiever works and plays well with others. - “They have little patience.” It may be true that overachievers don’t have a lot of patience. I know I don’t, yet I’m called “patient” by many. Why? Because I choose to cultivate the trait. I’m thrown into situations that require it. I wouldn’t have lasted very long working with preschoolers or the elderly or even being a salesperson if I didn’t have patience.
The lesson here? Put overachievers in situations that require patience. Give them projects that are tough to accomplish. If they’re like most overachievers, they have a healthy sense of “fighter” and will fight to the end. Also remember they become dedicated to things; their courses “are set in stone.” They’ll see things through to the end. The overachievers who won’t or don’t? They’re not the right overachievers to have in your organization.
Image: Angie Garrett (Creative Commons)
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