4 Ways Facility Managers Can Overcome Imposter Syndrome

Facility managers are the people everyone counts on, until something goes wrong. You’re expected to keep buildings running, people safe and operations efficient… all while navigating shrinking budgets and rising expectations. It’s no wonder so many FMs sometimes wonder: Am I really qualified to handle all this?

That creeping self-doubt has a name: imposter syndrome.

If you’ve ever felt this way, you’re not alone. Research shows that about 82 percent of people deal with imposter syndrome in their careers, and in facility management, where the responsibilities are wide-ranging and often behind the scenes, those feelings can hit especially hard.

After all, your role touches everything from energy efficiency and workplace technology to emergency response and employee experience. That’s a lot of hats to wear, and it’s easy to feel like you’re not “enough” in all of them.

What is imposter syndrome?

Imposter syndrome, or impostor phenomenon, describes a consistent feeling of intellectual fraudulence despite evidence to the contrary. Originally identified by Clance and Imes in 1978, it was thought to affect high-achieving women, but now it's known to affect professionals of all genders and industries.

You might hear yourself say:

• “I just got lucky.”

• “They’re going to figure me out.”

• “I don’t really belong here.”

• “I’m not actually good at this. I only succeeded because I had to put in an extreme amount of work.”

When the next project lands on your desk, the cycle starts all over again, self-doubt creeps in and you feel the urge to overwork just to avoid being “found out” as not capable enough.

Why Facility Managers are Prone to Imposter Syndrome

1. Your work is both invisible and highly visible

When things run smoothly, nobody notices. But when something goes wrong like a HVAC outage, elevator breakdown or workplace disruption, everyone sees it.

2. You’re expected to do more with less

Budgets are tight, staffing is lean and yet the expectations for comfort, safety, sustainability and innovation never stop rising.

3. The industry is constantly evolving

Smart buildings, AI, ESG reporting and hybrid workplaces are all hot topics in facility management. The learning curve is constant, and it’s easy to feel like you’re always one step behind. Facility managers are expected to stay knowledgeable across these rapidly evolving areas while keeping operations running smoothly.

4. You’re still fighting for recognition

Facility management is critical to every organization, but too often, FMs feel like they have to continually prove their value to leadership.

What to Do About It

Here are four ways to push back against imposter thoughts and reclaim your confidence:

1. Separate Facts from Feelings

Imposter thoughts are often “stories,” not facts. The Conscious Leadership Group suggests separating what actually happened (facts) from the narrative you’re telling yourself.  The next time you’re in a situation that makes you feel like an imposter, refer back to the facts vs. stories of the situation. One way to ground yourself is by keeping a “wins journal,” where you record past successes and positive feedback. 

2. Name It and Talk About It

Imposter syndrome thrives in silence. The moment you admit “I feel like a fraud,” you’ll usually hear someone else say, “Me too.” Psychologists Clance and Imes, who first identified the phenomenon in 1978, found that group settings helped reduce imposter feelings by normalizing them. For FMs, that can mean leaning into IFMA chapters, councils and communities, peer groups or other professional communities.

Related: 5 Key Benefits of Having a Mentor or Mentee as a Facility Manager

3. Embrace a Growth Mindset

No matter how skilled or experienced you are, you likely do not have all the answers. The good news is that doesn’t have to be scary. With the right mindset, uncertainty can become a chance to learn and grow.

The next time you start doubting yourself, whether you are overseeing a major office renovation, rolling out a new building automation system, or leading your first emergency preparedness drill, try to see it as a learning opportunity. Break it down, do some research, and set up a step-by-step plan. Not confident about analyzing energy usage data for the first time? Reach out to a colleague who has done it before or use IFMA's Engage platform to get advice from other FMs. You don’t have to figure everything out alone.

With a growth mindset, “I don’t know how to do this” becomes “I’m learning how to handle this,” and that shift alone can make high-pressure projects feel much more manageable.

4. Build a Plan

When self-doubt creeps in, many professionals overcompensate by trying to do everything at once. A better approach is creating a structured plan. Mikela, a senior software engineering manager for Enterprise Data Machine Learning, created a six-step program, ASPIRE, to help people work through their doubts and develop a more positive mindset. ASPIRE stands for: Acknowledge, Shift, Pinpoint, Identify, Reframe and Execute. Using this framework can help you break down complex tasks and create a clear plan so you always know your next step.

If you’ve felt imposter syndrome as a facility manager, it doesn’t mean you’re not qualified. It means you’re growing, stretching and working in a dynamic field. The FM community is full of professionals is in the same position. The next time that inner critic shows up, lean on your network, ground yourself in facts and remind yourself: you’ve got this.