Do you work with someone who has unrelenting, near impossible standards about the quality of their work? Do they bring unnecessary stress and conflict to projects? Do they miss deadlines because they can’t resist tweaking one last detail? If so, you might be dealing with a perfectionist. And while it’s great to work with someone who cares about their work, perfectionists often take this too far, making it challenging for others to collaborate effectively with them.
If you are in this situation – or if you are a perfectionist yourself – you can create more productive, stronger working relationships with a few behavior and mindset shifts. Alice Boyes, former clinical psychologist turned writer and author of “The Healthy Mind Toolkit,” offers up invaluable advice in her recent HBR article, providing five suggestions for smoother encounters.
“By understanding some of the common habits of perfectionists you can better understand their perspective and struggles. In doing so, you open the door to a healthy relationship in which you can learn from one another and build a more harmonious work environment,” Boyes writes.
Read the article to learn more.
