For a long time, one of the thoughts that has haunted me in those sleepless moments around 3am is that 'One day they'll find out.' Imposter Syndrome is interesting and I think, in small doses, healthy; it is a subject I intend to explore further in the future, not least because I so often encounter it in very successful people.But my own version had a particular edge: the notion that I have no qualifications for the work that I do. That was not wholly true: I was at least qualified to administer and give feedback on the MBTI (steps 1 & 2) and I have a further BPS Level 1 qualification; but that was about it. I do have lots of training and experience, but none of that was certified (apart from my First Aid at Work certificate, of course).
But now I have finished my ILM 7 programme in Executive Coaching and Mentoring, and can boast a Post Graduate Diploma. Does that make any difference?
I think, with regard to my Imposter Syndrome, probably not. Such things are not, after all, strictly rational. (And a prize of a feeling of personal kudos to anyone who knows why the picture of Jason Karaban is included here)However it has made a difference in other ways. My external credibility is, I suppose, enhanced; at least when it comes to corporate procurement processes that have a tick box approach. There is one more box I can tick. But more significantly, it has made me spend much more time reading about and reflecting on my practice. Even the writing of the assignments was valuable (and in fact a microcosm of the whole experience, in that I approached them in a fairly grumpy mood, seeing them as a moderately annoying hurdle to leap over in order to achieve a goal, and then found them valuable in their own right).
So a big thank you to Simon Whalley of Bluetree Development who is my programme tutor, and who has guided and supported me through the whole process.
For while it may not have laid the ghost of Andrew as Imposter to rest, it has been an invigorating and highly valuable experience.
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