Why we fall for fake experts and how to watch out for them

Why we fall for fake experts and how to watch out for themWhy we fall for fake experts and how to watch out for themIt is too easy to be duped by charlatans in yur office. They may look like experts, they may talk like experts, but when you take a deeper look, you realize that there is nothing of substance going on there.Why do we keep falling for these posers? Turns out, our brains are biased towards false expertise, hardwired to seemessy proxies of expertise, as University of Utah management professor Bryan Bonner who has studied fake experts, puts it. Through these proxies, we learn to wrongly associate traits associated with expertise with actual expertise. We think loudmouths who hold court in meetings actually know what they are talking about. We give too much weight to confident answers, as opposed to right answers. We plattl people who look like us over people who dont.And this costs us at work. In his research, Bonner found that teams who took the time to expose fake experti se could complete problem-solving tasks than those that kept the fake experts on their team.But theres hope. These unconscious biases can be unlearned once we learn how these fakers operateWatch out for loudmouthsRecognize that we are susceptible to sweet talkers who know how to suck out the oxygen in a room and take up all the airtime in a conversation. One study found that a group members influence is determined more by the quantity than by the quality of his/her contributions. In other words, we believe that the amount of time people spend talking is a bigger indicator of someones knowledge than what their contribution to the conversation was about.Learn to catch yourself if you find yourself nodding along to a chatterbox so that you can stop and listen to what is actually being said.Watch out for dismissing strangers over friendsWe are a wary lot who prefer our own kind over new kinds of people. Psychology research has found that familiarity will make us like someone more than a stranger.But we need to learn to move beyond our gut impression as working professionals. One study found that at worst, we decide who is trustworthy based on unconscious racial biases. In the absence of other information, people were likely to discount the opinion of unfamiliar individuals. Whom we trust is not only a reflection of who is trustworthy, but also a reflection of who we are, they concluded.To not get trapped in our biases, we need to learn to seek outside information about trustworthy coworkers.Watch out for your confirmation biasAt some offices, there are coworkers who can seemingly do no wrong. Managers love them. Every answer they give is right. Every idea they share is golden. In cognitive science, its called the halo effect, where people get blinded by the positive perception of a person. You want to believe they are right, so you do.In the workplace, this can happen during the first weeks of a new job. You are good at one part of your job, so people assume you m ust be good at other parts of it. But this confirmation bias can backfire if you make a schwimmbad first impression. As business author James Sudakow writes, If I start badly, I have established negative confirmation bias. Im in a hole. Even positive interactions and good decisions are viewed as me getting lucky or are written off under the pretext of anyone could have gotten that one.Are they good at their job or do they just seem good at their job? Learning this difference will help you avoid being played by a fool by office frauds who are counting on you to never look beyond that initial positive judgment.

Interview Attire for Disadvantaged Job Seekers

Interview Attire for Disadvantaged Job SeekersInterview Attire for Disadvantaged Job SeekersDressing professionally for an interview is really important. How you dress can make, or break, your chances of getting a job offer. What do you do when you cant afford interview attire? There are organizations that can help disadvantaged job seekers dress appropriately for an interview and prepare them to interview effectively. For Men Career Gear Career Gear is dedicated to helping men get their lives back on track by providing them with new business suits. Participants can choose from a variety of suits, most of which have been donated by Career Gears corporate sponsors, including Brooks Brothers and the Mens Wearhouse. How Men Can Participate in Programs Like Career GearThe first step disadvantaged job seekers can take is to truly believe in themselves and take the personal initiative to begin a job search. Career Gear invests in men who have begun to turn their lives around and are ta king a proactive role in seeking employment. Career Gears philosophy is simple but powerful successful employment is a catalyst towards men emerging as better fathers and leaders within their communities. Who Is Eligible to Participate?To qualify for assistance, each participant must have completed a job-training program, have an interview scheduled, and have been referred to Career Gear by one of its partner programs located throughout New York City and its surrounding boroughs. These organizations include homeless shelters, welfare-to-work job training centers, and job training programs for ex-offenders, disabled individuals, and recovering substance abusers. The men Career Gear serve come from all walks of life, but are disconnected for one reason or another. This includes all ages and ethnic backgrounds, recipients of public assistance, disabled individuals, recovering addicts, Iraqi war veterans, former foster care children, recent immigrants, and the formerly incarcerated. How Do They Go About Participating?When a participant arrives for his scheduled appointment, trained volunteers review his resume, identify potential barriers to the upcoming interview, review the work environment/culture in which the interview will take place, and offer specific and concrete tools to overcome potential obstacles in securing gainful employment. The Career Gear team will then work one-on-one with the men to help select an appropriate outfit for the upcoming job interview. Professional clothing provided includes a suit, dress shirt, tie, belt, shoes, and overcoat (when available). Professional Development SeriesOnce a participant is employed, he is recruited to become a member of the Professional Development Series (PDS). Launched in 2005, the PDS is a retention program that offers a unique series of workshops aimed at helping men retain their job and advance in the workplace. Workshops focus on skills that impact an individuals ability to remain employed, such as budget ing and financial management, emotional coping skills, family and child support, and communication skills. The program also offers added value by utilizing Career Gears greatest resource clothing. During each session, participants receive ongoing donations of clothing so they have an entire working wardrobe upon completion of the program. It enables them to focus on saving their money and spending it on other necessities rather than on clothing. For Women Dress for Success Dress for Successis a similar program for women. Established in 1997, it is an international non-profit program that has helped almost one million women in 150 cities in 28 countries to gain professional attire and the tools they need to become self-sufficient. Dress for Success operates through a network of affiliate locations that accept donations of gently used womens professional attire and accessories. They also organize suit drives and provide career counseling. How Can Women Participate in This Program ?Once a woman has a job interview, she can ask for a referral to her local Dress for Success boutique from local community partner agencies such as homeless shelters, immigration services, domestic violence shelters, job training programs, and educational institutions. If she is not currently working with such an agency, she can also contact her local Dress for Success and ask to speak with its Program Coordinator. To find a Dress for Success affiliate near you, check the list of locations throughout the United States and abroad. Make a Donation Donations are appreciated by non-profit organizations that seek to help disadvantaged job seekers. Heres how todonate to Dress for Successandhow to donate to Career Gear.

How to fend off that coworker who drains all your energy

How to fend off that coworker who drains all your energyHow to fend off that coworker who drains all your energyEver feel like when a certain coworker drops by to talk, your energy disappears in 3 2 1 when they finally walk away? Heres how to handle this person at work.Say nope, nope, nopeThe answer doesnt always have to be yes.Christiane Northrup, M.D., an OB/GYN, author and radio show host, writes on her site about how empaths can deal with energy vampires in different areas of life. One of her tips is to use the word no.One of the best ways to protect yourself is to minimize your interactions with a vampire. You can do this by becoming empowered in the negative. In other words, learn how to turn people down. Saying no takes practice. And, its all about compassion, which as an empath, you have plenty of. If you find it too difficult to say no at first, start by saying, Ill get back to you. The main thing you need to master is stopping the knee-jerk yes. she writes.Dont be a pus hoverBrandon Smith, an author, executive coach, speaker and podcast host, writes on LinkedIn about how you should be aggressive and take charge.Emotional vampires tend to pray on our professional courtesies and politeness. They take charge of conversations and quickly turn the topic of conversation to themselves and what they want to talk about. They do bedrngnis like aggressive conversationalists, he writes. If you are the one asking the questions of them and if you keep redirecting them back to the agenda, youll soon see that they will begin to avoid you. You prevent them from getting what they want and they dont like that.Protect your timeRemember, your time is limited - especially at work.Dr. Judith Orloff, M.D., an author and psychiatrist, writes about dealing with different types of energy vampires in the office on her site. One of the types she describes is the sob sister, who she describes as someone who plays the victim, is always whining when you two talk and does a lot o f complaining instead of fixing whats wrong.This is how Orloff recommends dealing with someone like this Set clear boundaries. Limit the time you spend talking about her complaints. Say no with a smile. For instance, with a co-worker, smile and say, Ill hold positive thoughts for the best possible outcome. Thank you for understanding that Im on deadline and must get back to my project. she writes.Dont soak up all their bad vibesJon Gordon, a speaker and author, writes in his newsletter about how to interact with EVs, or energy vampires.If you are not a manager or leader and you have EVs on your team or in your office its also important that you decide to be more positive than the negativity your face. A simple rule is Your positive energy must be greater than all the negativity.