Why Perfectionism at Work Often Backfires—and What Actually Matters Instead

New research shows performance depends more on aligned expectations than perfectionism.

BY KIT EATON @KITEATON

We all know that one perfectionist at work. Every “i” must be dotted*, every “t” crossed, every document formatted beautifully, every spreadsheet color-coded, every email politely concluded and sent on time…and a thousand other tiny examples of what this person probably calls “high standards” when asked. Sometimes it’s inoffensive, sometimes this habit can go too far. New research, though, calls into question the notion of worker perfectionist standards. Instead it found that what matters more is not how someone lives up to their own perfect measures, but how their performance aligns with what supervisors expect. The research is subtle, but savvy managers may use it to inform how they manage and interact with their teams.

The researchers, from University of Florida Warrington College of Business, examined the link between a workers’ “self-oriented perfectionism,” which is someone meeting their own perceived ideal standards, and a managers’ “other-oriented perfectionism.” This means the standards (perhaps overly-high) that a supervisor expects everyone’s performance to meet. 

The conclusion of the investigation was fascinating. A perfectionist worker may feel that they’re doing the best for themselves, and for the business, following their own idea of what “ideal” is. And when these ideas line up neatly with what a perfectionist boss expects, all is good: the worker feels less ambiguous about their role and duties. They understand why standards of performance matter, and they know what happens when they slip. This alignment can lead to higher work performance, job satisfaction and lower risk of burnout.

But if a manager has overly high standards that don’t align with what workers’ notions of perfection are, or if the standards simply don’t align meaningfully, then workers end up feeling much more ambiguous about their duties, less certain about their role and place within the company. This can drive performance down, lower productivity and even lead to more burnout, worse job satisfaction and, ultimately, more turnover. 

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The researchers note that sometimes there’s a strange power dynamic at play here. “Supervisors typically hold greater power to determine performance objectives,” they wrote, adding that this means managers “can decide when and how employees are evaluated, and serve as the formal authority to punish employees who fall short of fulfilling expectations.” This, of course, holds true even if the manager’s own perfectionist measures are unfair or unrealistic, or even where workers “lack the necessary information about the expectations and standards for their work roles.”

Some of this sounds like common sense, perhaps. But setting possibly unrealistic perfectionism standards can be one of those “hidden” pitfalls that makes productivity stumble, masquerading as “good practice” when in fact it’s not. 

Lead researcher professor Brian Swider explained that “If you’re an employee who struggles with perfectionism at work, our findings suggest that understanding your supervisor’s expectations may be just as important as managing your own tendencies towards perfectionism,” Phys.org reported. The trick to a smooth work experience is to talk to managers “about priorities, standards, and how your performance will be evaluated,” Swider said, noting this “can help reduce uncertainty and ensure you both share a clear understanding of what success looks like.”

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