Perfectionism is the pursuit of idealized, flawless, and excessively high standards; it often leads to stress and burnout as employees are left struggling to cope when they inevitably fail to live up to these standards. However, when employees set very high yet attainable standards – called “excellencism” – it can lead to benefits for employees and their organizations. Researchers in this study (Mohr & Dietz, 2025) considered the daily consequences of perfectionism and excellencism.
THE RESEARCH STUDY
Researchers recruited 127 people for an online daily diary study. Participants recorded their levels of fatigue, perfectionism and excellencism in the middle of the day, and information on effort, performance, and fatigue at the end of the day. The study showed that when employees focus on excellencism in the morning, they have more intense and persistent effort by the afternoon, leading to higher performance by the end of the day. This is accomplished without causing the fatigue often associated with perfectionism.
PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS
Perfectionism can be detrimental to the mental and physical health of employees, as well as the overall well-being of the organization. To combat perfectionism and promote excellencism, organization should do the following:
- Guide employees to set high yet attainable goals. Work with employees to help them discover their limitations and assist them in considering how to best grow and improve.
- Refrain from promoting or demanding perfectionism from employees. Give them the freedom and safety to make mistakes and learn from challenging situations.
Mohr, M., & Dietz, C. (2025). It’s got to be perfect? Differentiating the unique daily relationships of perfectionism and excellencism with employee effort, performance, and fatigue. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 98, c70034.
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