🥳 1st Anniversary! A year ago in June we put an LLC on it! After a decade of working well together, we bottled the lightning ⚡️and launched our coaching and training venture, Wrkwell. We developed eight proprietary Wrkwell soft skills and a compelling methodology to answer the deceptively simple question, What does it take to work well, human >< human?

⚽️ World Cup Buzz! Olé! We kicked off the summer by tackling a topic that’s an all-play. Whether you’re a rookie, seasoned player, or a club owner, workplace imposter thoughts can pull you out of the game. At The Buzz, attendees discussed how to pull a ‘step-over’ on an opposition that’s really just in their head.

Here’s the kicker: if there’s no evidence or proof other than your own persistent thinking, and you find yourself regularly playing defense, you’re sidelining yourself! Imposter phenomenon begins and ends with you. You’re the player, the referee, and the coach. Raise a flag on the play when imposter thoughts arise. Call a timeout and give yourself a pep talk. Then get back out there and take back the ball.

Here are some surprising examples of imposter thinking that our high-performing attendees shared during discussion, along with the flags that signaled imposterism, and Wrkwell coaching strategies to neutralize the impacts.

[Thought 💭] “I’m a PhD and recognized subject matter expert in my field, but often when I’m introduced as ‘Dr. ___’, my first thought is, ‘How odd we share the same last name!” 

[Flag 🚩] Feeling separate from your own accomplishments

[Strategy ⚽️] Keep Score: Cultivate evidence-based confidence. Maintain a ‘win’ journal of your achievements, meaningful feedback you’ve received, and other points of pride – revisit regularly.

[Thought 💭] “They asked me for a pitch and I dragged my feet. I figured they’d find someone better.” 

[Flag 🚩] Sidelining yourself by declining or delaying on opportunities

[Strategy ⚽️] Get Off the Sidelines: Give up on waiting to feel ready. Release the need to appear flawless or effortless. It’s work. You’re gonna sweat sometimes.

[Thought 💭] “Sometimes I pull an all-nighter when a project feels high stakes, even though the rest of the team signed off.” 

[Flag 🚩] Over-‘perfecting’ or overcomplicating work

[Strategy ⚽️] Leave It All On The Field (and then go home): Define as a team what it means to win. Align on goals, roles and supports, and limit your play to your position.

Coaching can go a long way in helping you to identify and interrupt the thoughts and behaviors that are messing with your game.

That is exactly what we're here for.

1) We’re accepting new coaching clients! Are there folks in your circle who would benefit from personalized professional development? Request a no-fee chemistry call to discuss coaching for high-potential members of your team. If you’re a leader looking to plan PD or L+D, get in touch about strategic advisement, our offering for decision-makers. Email [email protected] to see our prospectus. 

2) The Buzz 🐝 is back and RSVPs are rolling in. Don’t miss out on our illuminating, cross-industry Zoom gatherings! Our next topic is how to make the most of performance review conversations, just in time to prep for yours. RSVP on Calendly to join us on Wednesday, October 7th at 4:30pm ET.

Did you come to The Buzz in June? Leave a testimonial here.

Our Q2 2026 flew by! Perhaps yours did, too. We celebrated our first anniversary as Wrkwell Partners (and 10 years of collaboration)! It’s been a joy to work well together, embody our values, and share a methodology that equips others to do the same. Facilitating a discussion on imposterism, just as we marked our first anniversary, added an unexpected poignancy to our celebration. 

No one is immune to imposter phenomenon. There were times we wondered, Who are we to have quit our jobs, hung shingles, and become public multi-hyphenates? Imposter thinking has a million+ answers to those questions—mature and humble-sounding reasons to sideline our quest for a more egalitarian, future-oriented, and meaningful work life. But neutralizing imposter thinking is much easier when you’re striving in tandem, and the research agrees. 

The newest research on imposterism reveals that collaboration is key. In 2022, a study demonstrated that high masculinity-contest cultures (MCCs)—characterized by norms frequently associated with the ‘masculine ideals’ of showing no weakness, prioritizing work above all else, and viewing others’ losses as personal gains—elicit more frequent reports of imposter thinking.

People working in competitive climates engage more often in upward, self-negating social comparisons, fueling the impostor spiral. Conversely and happily, imposter thoughts are far less likely to emerge in climates focused on cooperation. In other words, you can be fiercely competitive, even cutthroat (!), so long as you’re directing that attention into the work, and not the people. As partners, we lend our competitive drive to clients, teaming with them to advance their goals.

Our advice? Deepen your bench. Find the players whose style, vision, and values complement and enhance yours. Not only will it decrease the prevalence and intensity of imposterism, but if you’re lucky (like us) you’ll make a partner in the process.  

Talk soon, 

A + M 

[email protected]