Reality Check no. 8: Are The Fraud Police Banging On My Door?

Use to form below to fill out your answers. We will email you a copy of the completed form which you can print and paste into your Ambition Journal. NOTE: Your name and e-mail will never be published; we need them simply to tell that you are a real person and so that your completed forms can be e-mailed to you.

Take this Fraud Police Reality Check to see if, and in what ways, you may be prone to feeling like an interloper. How many of the following statements apply to you?

 

Name:	Email Address:
You adopt an apologetic stance because you secretly fear you have something to atone for (i.e., being a fake.) For example, before you give an opinion, do you say,"Forgive me if I'm speaking out of turn, but…" Or, "I may be out of my league, but here goes…"? true false
You are afraid to come right out and say you don't know something because then the truth will be revealed: you don't know anything. true false
You read maniacally every professional publication just in case someone hands you a pop quiz one day. true false
You try to work into every conversation the fact that you went to Barnard. true false
When somebody else praises your accomplishments, you blush. true false
You avoid standing up in a crowd if you have to speak—even if the group leader has asked people to stand before speaking. true false
You use a weak, willowy, or high-pitched voice when making your point. For example, when you say something in a group meeting, especially in front of a larger crowd, people often interrupt you with, "We can't hear you in the back!" true false
You avoid challenging an idea you disagree with. Or you decline to state an unpopular opinion. true false
You rush through and cut short what you wanted to say so you can slide quickly out of the spotlight. true false
You punctuate your statement with a shrug or a dismissive gesture at the end, as if to neutralize it and render imperceptible what you've just stepped out on a limb to say. true false
You look for consensus immediately after speaking. For example, you seek validation that your listeners agree with you by saying: "Don't you think so?" Or "Right?" true false
You don't speak up at all, though you do have an opinion and would like to state it. true false

 

If you identified three or more behaviors above, you may be rendering yourself invisible when you should be standing out. Staying out of sight to avoid being spotted as a fraud has consequences.