In college I did a spring break “experiential learning” program where we explored homelessness. We even spent one night at a homeless shelter. When it came time to share what our main take-aways of the week were, I shared this pearl:

” I learned that I never…ever….want to be homeless.”

Fast-forward to a few months ago, when I participated in a “peer coaching” group through my business school. The peers? A bunch of unemployed MBAs. Though I was employed, it certainly left me with a very similar feeling I had all those years ago in college (simply replace “homeless” with “unemployed”).

This is why I am bristling at the thought of outplacement services! Hanging out with other unemployed people + a chipper, theoretical organizational development ‘professional’ rather than with real, productive, employed people somehow does not feel helpful to me…

Perhaps akin to locking up felons up with other felons and expecting it to be “correctional”?

I love you, Mike Judge. You get discordance.