Why your best can lead to your worst

I'm passionate about sharing actionable advice and mentoring to help you figure out what you want from your career – whether you're just starting out or not. I now write regularly about all of this on my blog, which you can subscribe to here.

I share personal experiences – with lessons from my career – as well as honest thoughts on unanswered questions.

Now for the second edition of Career Confidence Weekly. ??

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Something I've pondered for a while during mentoring is how to advise people to think differently about their work mentality.

Not by questioning their effort or commitment – most people work damn hard – but by helping them to understand how their best can quickly become their worst.

Allow me to explain.

The worst extensions of ourselves are extremes of our best qualities.

Everyone has traits that help them smash it at work.

You can buck a trend and be shy but inspiring, or outgoing but diligent... and everything in between. However you act, consciously or otherwise, it usually serves you well.

But, sometimes things go wrong. Occasionally, they go very wrong.

Depending on how your brain works, you can flip from your 'best' to your 'worst' quite quickly:

• High standards and completionism > Overwhelmed and overcommitted
• Rational and logical > Insensitive and rude
• Organised and diligent > Overthinking and indecision
• Humble > Never take credit
• Curious and open-minded > Disconnected

This can happen because we're trying too hard and overcompensating, or we've not looked for alternative opinions or support (here's where managers and mentors can help).

Other times it's because you're not able to see when you're 'red-lining' and haven't recognised the signs of these extremes early enough.

There can also be occasions where you simply get it wrong, and that's ok. We all make mistakes.

However, if the above keeps happening, without taking any action, you will burnout.

So, how can you stop this?

It might just require a little bit of self-reflection.

Understanding your personality type

Now all of the above scenarios will never be fully stopped, but you can minimise them.

Particularly if you're the type of person who questions themselves daily, hates receiving praise, or struggles in a room full of bigger personalities.

Crucially, this isn't about changing who you are, but understanding how you work and interact with others so you can recognise the symptoms of your extremes.

Since being introduced to Myers-Briggs a few years ago by Vicky Blissett, I've been able to better understand how I think and act around others and, more importantly, how that's perceived.

The four letters you get from a MBTI test don't define you – they're more guidelines than rules – but I highly recommend them to anyone looking to better understand themselves at work.

(It also helps at home too!)

It's not quite a tightrope, but it is a balancing act.

This means you, and others, can understand not only what you're thinking, but also why.

And this is why mentoring can really help.

Mentors can spot your best traits, particularly if you lack confidence or self-belief, and use tools like Myers-Briggs to offer you alternative thoughts and ideas to those that occur to you naturally.

Sometimes a different perspective is all that it takes.

Good luck!