Perfectionism, a double-edged sword, can propel us to unimaginable heights or plunge us into the depths of self-destruction. Let's delve into the different types of self-destructive perfectionists, and perhaps, discover where you might find yourself on this spectrum.
Perfectionism is on the rise in younger generations
Researchers from the University of Bath and York St. John University in the U.K. measured three types of perfectionism
- self-oriented, the irrational desire to be perfect
- socially prescribed, perceiving excessive expectations from others
- and other-oriented
- They found that between 1989 and 2016, perfectionism increased by 10%, socially prescribed increased by 33%, and other increased by 16%.
Selective Perfectionism
Choose when a task is worth an effort that’s above and beyond and when it’s not
- Use a technique called “Max, Mod, Min”
- Write out the maximum you can do for a task, the minimum you could do, and the moderate
- This allows you to break black-and-white thinking and find options to right-size an approach for any task or circumstance
Using the Approach as a Leader
Defining three levels helps managers and employees have a clear understanding of expectations
- When you give someone an assignment, talk about the levels of performance, and choose the right fit
- It gets you out of the mud, enabling you to see more than one really good way to get something done
