ABSTRACT

In fact, perfection is unattainable, both at the individual and organizational levels. Because perfection is not a realistic goal, setting standards of perfection can be a real trust buster. Perfectionists send the message that others' work is not good enough. They frequently have additional ideas and more suggestions to change a finished project. Working for a perfectionist is a challenge. Sometimes, regardless of how nice the person is, a perfectionist can be the most dreaded of leaders. Faculty members may feel enormous stress trying to meet the standards of their perfectionist boss. Trying to please a perfectionist can mean working long hours, beyond what might normally be expected. What the perfectionist may perceive to be constructive feedback comes across as constant criticism, which is hard to take on a regular basis. In reality, perfectionists are constantly judging themselves. The behaviors that perfectionists criticize or correct in others are often the very actions that they find in themselves as well.