Perfectionism coaching
If you, as a specialist or manager, place high demands on yourself and realize that the internal pressure is increasingly tying up your energy.
Situation
Will your own entitlement become a permanent burden?
Many committed specialists and managers work carefully, take responsibility and want to deliver good results. High standards can promote quality and provide orientation.
At the same time, many people find that their demands are gradually turning into permanent pressure. Tasks are reviewed several times. Decisions take longer than necessary. Mistakes seem more threatening than they objectively are.
According to studies, strong perfectionism is associated with increased stress, self-criticism and exhaustion. People with a high level of responsibility in particular experience that they function on the outside but are constantly under tension on the inside.
Perfectionism coaching helps you to better understand this dynamic, reduce inner pressure and regain more room for maneuver in dealing with performance and expectations.
Dynamics
How perfectionism arises and is maintained
Perfectionism is rarely just a high demand for quality. There are often several internal dynamics at work at the same time.
Some of you want to avoid mistakes and do everything as well as possible. Another part of you may be quick to doubt your own performance or react strongly to criticism.
These inner voices often arise from past experiences. They originally fulfill a protective function. At the same time, they can lead to strong pressure in everyday working life.
Typical consequences are, for example
- Constant checking of work results
- Difficulties delegating tasks
- Strong self-criticism despite objectively good performance
- Decision uncertainty for fear of making mistakes
- High internal pressure for responsibility or visibility
In coaching, we take a differentiated look at these dynamics. You learn to better recognize the various inner voices and expectations and to understand their influence on your behaviour.
Many customers experience for the first time that different inner perspectives are at work simultaneously. When these dynamics become clearer, there is more freedom of choice in their own actions.
Coaching approach
How coaching tackles perfectionism
Coaching is not about giving up expectations or becoming less committed. The aim is to achieve a more realistic relationship with performance, responsibility and self-worth.
We work with an approach that makes inner dynamics and different inner parts visible. As a result, many people experience for the first time that their inner pressure does not consist of a single voice, but of different inner perspectives.
When these perspectives become more understandable, there is more freedom of choice in one's own actions.
For example, you can learn:
- recognize the inner critic earlier
- Deal more constructively with pressure to perform
- Make decisions more clearly
- define themselves less by performance
- Deal with mistakes and uncertainty more calmly
This gradually creates more inner stability and room for maneuver in dealing with high demands.
In the course of the coaching process, many people find that not only their approach to performance changes, but also their inner experience of self-confidence, clarity and Self-management.
"Perfectionism is not the same as the desire to do your best. Perfectionism is the belief that we can avoid pain - from criticism, judgment or shame, for example - if we only live, look and act perfectly."
Brené Brown
Process
How do we set up coaching to deal with perfectionism?
1. Getting to know each other
In a free video call, we check whether the chemistry is right. We talk about your overarching goal for the coaching, my approach and our expectations.
2nd kick-off meeting
We clarify the coaching goals and discuss how we want to organize the collaboration. Once the basics have been clarified, we can start working on the content.
3. decision
After the kick-off meeting, we decide whether and how we will continue working. If necessary, we record the framework conditions in a brief coaching agreement.
4. accompaniment
We work with suitable methods and impulses as part of an individual coaching process that is geared towards your topics and goals.
You can find an overview of prices and time formats here → Investment.
Coach
Who accompanies the coaching?
As an organizational psychologist, I support people who place high demands on themselves and at the same time want to develop a more relieving way of dealing with themselves.
In coaching, we don't just look at behavior or strategies. Together, we look at the inner dynamics that maintain perfectionism. These include, for example, self-criticism, fear of making mistakes or the desire to fulfill expectations particularly well.
When these patterns become more understandable, there is more room for maneuver. Decisions can be made more clearly. Pressure can be reduced. Your own effectiveness feels more stable.
Coaching offers a protected space for this reflection. Here you can look at your situation in peace and develop new perspectives.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about perfectionism coaching
What can and cannot coaching do for perfectionism?
In coaching, we work with what is currently present around the topic of perfectionism. We look at situations from your everyday professional life and also focus on the inner dynamics that shape your experience. The aim is to gain a better understanding of inner drivers, develop a more harmonious way of dealing with different inner voices and gain new scope for action in everyday life.
Coaching does not replace psychotherapy and is not designed to therapeutically work through stressful experiences from the past. The focus is on reflection, self-management and concrete changes in a professional context.
If you would like to find out more about business coaching and how I work, you will find an overview on the page Business Coaching.
Isn't it enough to read a good book on the subject of perfectionism?
A book can trigger important "aha" moments and create an initial understanding of perfectionism. However, many people find that despite good tips, little changes in everyday life.
This is often due to the fact that perfectionist patterns consist not only of thoughts, but also of habits, evaluations and inner reactions that run automatically.
In coaching, we reflect on specific situations from your everyday life. You will recognize which inner dynamics are activated in certain moments and gradually develop a new way of dealing with them.
Others think I should work on my perfectionism, but I function well. Is that really a problem?
Perfectionism has a positive core. It can be associated with a sense of responsibility, reliability and high quality standards.
At the same time, very high standards can lead to pressure, self-criticism or tension in everyday working life. Some people notice this themselves. In other cases, the feedback comes from those around them.
Coaching is not about abolishing perfectionism. The aim is to develop a more conscious approach to one's own demands so that performance remains possible without compromising self-worth, composure or relationships.
What happens if I realize after the kick-off meeting that it's not a good fit?
Chemistry and mutual trust are the basis for successful coaching. The kick-off meeting explicitly serves as Test field. If you (or I) realize afterwards that my way of working or the setting is not optimally suited to your concerns, the process ends at this point. In this case, only the individual session will be charged according to the conditions for the kick-off session and there will be no further obligations.
How is confidentiality ensured in coaching?
As an occupational and organizational psychologist, I am subject to the legal duty of confidentiality. A protected space is the prerequisite for you to be able to talk openly about challenges. Everything you bring to the table remains between us and is not communicated to the outside world. If your company finances the coaching, we clearly agree in advance that only organizational details will be communicated.
How is a coaching process structured and how high is the investment?
An overview of the structure of the coaching process and the investment can be found on the page Investment. The duration, meeting frequency and conditions are transparently presented there.
Where do the coaching sessions take place and are they also available online?
Coaching sessions take place in my coaching room in Zurich on Zeltweg 10 or online takes place. Information about the Coaching in Zurich can be found on the main page. I support team development directly in the respective organization.
How much time do I need to invest between sessions?
Progress is made primarily through implementation in day-to-day work, not just in meetings.
Ideally, plan about 30 to 60 minutes for reflection or the implementation of small impulses.