5 Ways to Identify Perfectionism Red Flags

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Perfectionism is not the positive trait some people think it is. It can slow productivity, disrupt team dynamics, and sabotage career advancement. How can you identify that pattern in employees and determine whether it's causing problems? Use these strategies to assess common perfectionism features.

Perfectionism is not the positive trait some people think it is. It can slow productivity, disrupt team dynamics, and sabotage career advancement. How can you identify that pattern in employees and determine whether it's causing problems? Use these strategies to assess common perfectionism features.

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1. Challenge their inflexible thoughts and behaviors.

1. Challenge their inflexible thoughts and behaviors.

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Perfectionists are rigid and have difficulty pivoting, even when someone presents new information.

Perfectionists are rigid and have difficulty pivoting, even when someone presents new information.

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2. Set boundaries and don't enable them.

2. Set boundaries and don't enable them.

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Others in the office can get roped into a co-worker's perfectionism by providing them with excessive reassurance, checking and fixing work on their behalf, and granting exceptions.

Others in the office can get roped into a co-worker's perfectionism by providing them with excessive reassurance, checking and fixing work on their behalf, and granting exceptions.

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5. Ask others about their reputation.

5. Ask others about their reputation.

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Perfectionists can project outward when they hold colleagues to excessive and rigid standards. That can cause others to feel substantial pressure to perform to the perfectionist's unreasonable standards.

Perfectionists can project outward when they hold colleagues to excessive and rigid standards. That can cause others to feel substantial pressure to perform to the perfectionist's unreasonable standards.

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3. Present them with awards and praise.

3. Present them with awards and praise.

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Perfectionists often struggle to accept their accomplishments and tend to dismiss or minimize them. They may even turn down promotions because they feel unworthy.

Perfectionists often struggle to accept their accomplishments and tend to dismiss or minimize them. They may even turn down promotions because they feel unworthy.

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4. Zoom out to find the big picture.

4. Zoom out to find the big picture.

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It's common for perfectionists to be overly detail oriented, sometimes at the expense of seeing or appreciating a task's full scope.

It's common for perfectionists to be overly detail oriented, sometimes at the expense of seeing or appreciating a task's full scope.