15 Questions
What was Harris's initial perception of Karen after she started working for him?
That she was a super-reliable straight arrow.
What triggered Harris's anger towards Karen?
Harris missing an important sales meeting.
What was Karen's reason for her poor performance at work?
She was dealing with a personal issue at home.
How did Harris initially react to Karen's poor performance?
He was curt and disrespectful.
What did Harris's previous assistant struggle with?
Alcohol and drug addiction.
What did Harris arrange for Karen after he found out about her situation?
A half pay leave of absence
Why do humans tend to typecast others?
Because of millions of years of evolution
What happens when people are in survival mode?
They become quick-tempered and anxious
What happens when people typecast others based on patterns from their families?
They make decisions based on emotion rather than fact
What happens to people's prejudices in times of common physical crisis?
They are thrown away
Harris immediately fired Karen after finding out about her situation
False
Karen's son lost an arm permanently due to the accident
False
Humans are capable of dealing with the 'hurry up and respond' information all at once in modern life
False
Typecasting can help people make clear and objective decisions in work situations
False
People's prejudices disappear completely after common physical crises
False
Study Notes
Typecasting at Work
- Typecasting can occur when an individual is quickly judged based on their physical traits and behavior, leading to firm judgments within seconds of meeting.
- This tendency is exacerbated by demanding jobs, modern life, and the constant flow of information, causing humans to live in permanent fight-or-flight survival mode.
- Typecasting can also occur when personal qualities of people from the past are unconsciously transferred onto others, matching new people with familiar patterns instead of judging them in their own right.
The Case of Harris and Karen
- Harris, an executive vice president, misjudged his assistant Karen, assuming she was "lazy", "unmotivated", and "flaking out" due to her changed behavior after a month of excellent work.
- Karen was actually dealing with her three-year-old son's diagnosis with leukemia, but didn't feel safe to tell Harris due to his busy and grumpy demeanor.
- Harris's misjudgment stemmed from his past experiences with other assistants and his own family dynamics, including his younger brother's struggle with drugs.
Consequences of Typecasting
- Typecasting can lead to quick-tempered and anxious behavior, preventing clear and objective decision-making.
- It can cause people to make decisions based on emotion rather than fact, eliminating the possibility of doing their best work.
- Typecasting can also lead to a cycle of reinforcing bad behavior, as seen in the case of Harris and Karen, where their images of each other reinforced their negative actions.
Overcoming Typecasting
- To succeed, it's essential to avoid jumping to conclusions and instead, take the time to understand the situation and people involved.
- In moments of common crisis, people tend to throw away their typecasts and come together to help one another survive and recover.
Typecasting at Work
- Typecasting can occur when an individual is quickly judged based on their physical traits and behavior, leading to firm judgments within seconds of meeting.
- This tendency is exacerbated by demanding jobs, modern life, and the constant flow of information, causing humans to live in permanent fight-or-flight survival mode.
- Typecasting can also occur when personal qualities of people from the past are unconsciously transferred onto others, matching new people with familiar patterns instead of judging them in their own right.
The Case of Harris and Karen
- Harris, an executive vice president, misjudged his assistant Karen, assuming she was "lazy", "unmotivated", and "flaking out" due to her changed behavior after a month of excellent work.
- Karen was actually dealing with her three-year-old son's diagnosis with leukemia, but didn't feel safe to tell Harris due to his busy and grumpy demeanor.
- Harris's misjudgment stemmed from his past experiences with other assistants and his own family dynamics, including his younger brother's struggle with drugs.
Consequences of Typecasting
- Typecasting can lead to quick-tempered and anxious behavior, preventing clear and objective decision-making.
- It can cause people to make decisions based on emotion rather than fact, eliminating the possibility of doing their best work.
- Typecasting can also lead to a cycle of reinforcing bad behavior, as seen in the case of Harris and Karen, where their images of each other reinforced their negative actions.
Overcoming Typecasting
- To succeed, it's essential to avoid jumping to conclusions and instead, take the time to understand the situation and people involved.
- In moments of common crisis, people tend to throw away their typecasts and come together to help one another survive and recover.
Learn about the consequences of typecasting in a professional setting through the experiences of Harris, an executive vice president, and his assistant Karen.
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