On the way to Sacramento , the Empowerment Tour stopped off at the Oregon House of Mystery. The house is supposed to be on an energy vortex, a vortex for those who don’t know, is a spinning, often turbulent spiral often made of wind or water in this case it‘s energy and magnetism. It can be a metaphor for what people feel when they are unexpectedly laid off from a job.
In the midst of this vortex there is a House of Mystery where there are interesting effects, where objects roll up hill and people’s heights change. There are different explanations – some believe something paranormal is going on, others think it is an optical illusion. Whatever it is, some people feel uncomfortable in the setting.
Many of the people we see feel uncomfortable when they are not winning the job. They aren’t getting the response to the efforts that have worked in the past. They make up explanations which may or may not be true: “It is because of my age”, “I think they are racist”, “I don’t have a degree.”
We set up the tour at the Bishop Gallegos Square , in downtown Sacramento . Several people stopped by on their way to work and during breaks. A few who stopped for coaching had explanations for the reason they weren’t or wouldn’t be hired. A woman, who recently graduated college with a degree in International Business, had made a connection with an owner of a global business that seemed interested in her and made promises that she would help her find a position. However, the owner didn’t return several phone calls, and one day walked right by her without saying hello. The graduate decided that they weren’t interested at all. This may or may not be true. It is possible the business owner was distracted with her own challenges.
Another woman was underemployed. With a bachelor’s degree and several years of experience, she was a government worker who was feeling trapped in her job. She believed she wasn’t getting selected for promotions because her present boss wouldn’t give her a recommendation. This may or may not be true. It is possible she wasn’t a good fit for the jobs she was applying for.
I am reminded of a woman with a service dog who I met in a different city. She was convinced that she wasn’t getting hired because people didn’t want to deal with her dog. This may or may not be true. It is possible they were frightened by her disability, or perhaps she wasn’t adequately communicating the value she could bring to the organization.
It is great if we could always get valid feedback. Often people won’t tell you the truth, though it is good to ask. Perhaps there is something you can correct. Sometimes you may find out it had nothing to do with your competency, there were other factors involved.
Do you have any examples of a belief you had, that turned out to be wrong? Let me know, I am interested.
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