Navigating Work Growth with ChatGPT: Tackling Imposter Syndrome, Mental Health, and Religious Trauma
Me: I need to prepare to report on how it's been going for me at work, including how I feel about my workload. But mostly my boss wants to discuss my development opportunities. He wants to know what I want to do, if I want training in anything. He'd like to grow my role. He thinks that with my background, I might be successful in change management for our clients. Right now my company is lacking a formal process for communication around change management for our clients and their employees. The role is meant to help people feel comfortable with the change being implemented, particularly as people don't like change. I feel daunted by thinking about this because when I try to visualize myself sitting in a conference room as a representative of my company talking to our client, I feel like an imposter because I know next to nothing about supply chain or manufacturing. I also know nearly nothing about change management. I guess I'd like to know what I would need to know and what work would be like for me if I took on change management. I don't want to give myself extra work or develop in ways that don't feel satisfying.
Dr. Gpt: It makes sense why this feels daunting—it’s a big opportunity, but with it comes uncertainty about your expertise and the direction your role could take. Let’s break this down into smaller steps to ease the pressure:
Step 1: Clarify Your Concerns
Imposter Syndrome: It’s completely natural to feel like an imposter when considering stepping into something new. But your boss sees potential in you, and that’s a strong indicator of trust in your abilities.
Step 2: Research What You’d Need to Know
You don’t need to know everything right now. You could ask your boss for resources or training to get up to speed on supply chain, manufacturing, and change management. Frame it as: “I’m excited about the opportunity, but I’ll need some structured learning to feel confident stepping into that role. Could we discuss what resources or training would help me build that foundation?”
Step 3: Visualize the Work
You can ask your boss to provide examples of what change management has looked like for your clients in the past or what they envision. This will help you see if the role fits your strengths and if it feels satisfying.
Step 4: Align With Your Goals
Reflect on what parts of change management might feel fulfilling to you. If working with people, helping them through transitions, and using your operational skills sounds appealing, this could be a rewarding development path.
Would breaking it down this way help you approach preparing for the conversation?
Me: Yes, that helped already a lot.
Dr. Gpt: I'm really glad to hear that! Breaking it down can make a huge difference when something feels overwhelming. You’ve already made great progress in getting clearer about your next steps.
Are you feeling ready to start preparing for your meeting now, or would you like to go over anything else before diving in? I’m here to keep things moving at your pace!
Me: Ok, but what about the workload part?
Dr. Gpt: For the workload part, it’s important to be clear and honest about how you’re feeling. Here’s how we can approach it:
Step 1: Assess Your Current Workload
How do you feel about your current workload? Is it manageable, or are there areas where it feels too much? Do you find yourself frequently overwhelmed, or is it a comfortable balance?
Step 2: Identify Specific Pain Points
Are there specific tasks or responsibilities that feel draining, repetitive, or unfulfilling? If so, this is a great opportunity to express where you could use support or adjustments.
Step 3: Balance Between Growth and Overload
While discussing potential growth opportunities like Change Management, it’s important to consider whether you have capacity for additional responsibilities. If you feel your current workload is already heavy, you can frame it as: “I’m excited about growing into new roles like Change Management, but I want to ensure I’m able to handle both my current responsibilities and any new ones without feeling overwhelmed.”
Step 4: Ask for Help with Prioritization
If your workload is already at or near capacity, you can ask your boss for guidance on what tasks to prioritize or if there are any lower-priority tasks you can delegate or streamline.
