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Collaborative Culture

Perfectionism limits our chances to risk, learn, grow, and succeed

By Learning Forward
August 2013
Perfectionism is tough conditioning to shake, and yet doing so is vital to our growth and development. As I grew up, I thought that if I couldn’t achieve perfection at something, then I probably shouldn’t do it. I was often on the sidelines, working on perfecting any number of endeavors, while others hopped on the bandwagon, fell off, got back on, and seemed to be having a blast in the process. One of the best things I’ve done is to take a comedy improv class. I quickly learned that being rehearsed — perfect — aiming to look good or be intelligent would take me down. The instructor urged us to celebrate our failures, and we did so in order to risk, take action, be present,

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Authors

Deli Moussavi-Bock and Susan Scott

Deli Moussavi-Bock (deli@fierceinc.com) is director of training for Fierce in the Schools.

In each issue of JSD, Susan Scott (susan@fierceinc.com) explores aspects of communication that encourage meaningful collaboration. Scott, author of Fierce Conversations: Achieving Success At Work & In Life, One Conversation at a Time (Penguin, 2002) and Fierce Leadership: A Bold Alternative to the Worst “Best” Practices of Business Today (Broadway Business, 2009), leads Fierce Inc. (www.fierceinc.com), which helps companies around the world transform the conversations that are central to their success. Fierce in the Schools carries this work into schools and higher education. Columns are available at www.learningforward.org. © Copyright, Fierce Inc., 2013.

I confess to a degree of perfectionism that used to prevent me from having much-needed conversations for fear of saying the wrong thing or saying it wrong. These days, I just say it and let the chips fall where they may. I encourage you to do the same. It will probably go better than you imagined. And if there are chips, well, keep your shoes on, and no one will get hurt. — Susan Scott

References

Center for Creative Counseling. (n.d.). Managing perfectionism. Available at www.creativecounselors.com/articles/managing_perfectionism.htm.

 

Drapkin, J. (2005, September 1). The pitfalls of perfectionism. Available at www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200509/the-pitfalls-perfectionism.

 

Gladwell, M. (2008). Outliers. New York, NY: Little, Brown and Company.

Psychology Today. (n.d.) Psych basics: Perfectionism. Available at www.psychologytoday.com/basics/perfectionism.

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Learning Forward is the only professional association devoted exclusively to those who work in educator professional development. We help our members plan, implement, and measure high-quality professional learning so they can achieve success with their systems, schools, and students.

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