Perfectionism is a self-imposed pressure to meet impossible or overly excessive standards, and it is on the rise (Curran & Hill, 2019).

Perfectionism has a dual structure: a good, helpful one and a bad, unhelpful one. It can drive excellency, improvement and growth, or be debilitating, leading to depression, anxiety and burnout.

There is a research gap on the helpful aspects. While the media focusses almost exclusively on its negative side, debate continues about what counts as perfectionism and where to draw the line between helpful and unhelpful types. Most agree that if you’re driven to do well and can accept that things won’t always be perfect, you’re on the healthy side; if you’re obsessed with never making mistakes and can’t handle falling short, it becomes a problem.

The literature suggests the key distinction is whether perfectionistic tendencies support flexible functioning or contribute to dysfunction, which relates to rigid rules and harsh self-criticism. Perfectionism becomes problematic when it reflects an inability to accept imperfection and excessive preoccupation with avoiding mistakes.

It is relevant in coaching because perfectionism is rising and impacts coaches and coachees, and it can become a barrier to transformational coaching when coaches become stuck on structure and reluctant to go with the flow.

Structure of the workshop / The what:

The aim of the workshop is dual: combining education to tackle misconceptions around perfectionism (and normalize it) and a science-based skill-training component to turn rigid narrative and harsh self-judgement into flexibility, acceptance (emotional agility), and committed, meaningful action.

Ana-Maria Chirila is a Civil Law Notary Public and Managing Partner of her own law firm in Romania, which she has founded and successfully led for over 15 years. A former PCEC student at Henley Business School, Ana-Maria also previously served as a UK ICF Board Member and as an Associate at the Henley Centre for Coaching. She holds an MSc in Clinical Psychology and an MD in Dentistry, combining her diverse academic background with a deep interest in human behaviour and leadership. Her expertise and passion centre on understanding perfectionism and its impact on leadership effectiveness. As a speaker and facilitator of webinars and workshops, Ana-Maria promotes a holistic approach to leadership development, empowering individuals and teams to lead with self-awareness, resilience, and authenticity.