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........

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