Workplace Schemas

Workplace Schemas © 2016 Avigail Lev

The inadequacy/incompetency schema:

The belief that you are less adequate or efficient than others at your workplace. You constantly compare yourself to others including colleagues, friends, and coworkers. You continue to notice and pinpoint the ways you are less successful and not as accomplished as others. This story may also include fear of failing in the future. You’re constantly worried that you’re going to mess up, fail, or do something that will permanently destroy your career.

The perfectionism Schema:

The belief that you and others at your workplace must meet unrealistically high standards of performance. This story involves the experience of never feeling good enough. It’s difficult for you to accomplish tasks because they have to be absolutely perfect. You set such high standards for yourself and others that you continue to feel disappointed. This core belief involves setting high and unrealistic standards that lead you to never feeling good enough and continuing to feel a level of emptiness or dissatisfaction. You always see the place where you could do just a little bit better and it never feels quite satisfying.

The expert schema:

The core belief is that you’ve already reached your maximum potential and there’s no need for more learning or growth. It may manifest as overconfidence or getting caught up in doing things the right way. You’ve gotten accustomed to working a certain way and you may become self-righteous and rigid about your way of doing things. You don’t seek feedback or learning opportunities. You believe that you’ve reached the point where you’ve learned everything there is to know and are now closed off to new perspectives. In other words, there’s a right way and a wrong way to do things and you’ve become convinced that your way is the only right way.

The imposter Schema:

The belief that you are somehow not effective at your job, that you’re a fraud and you will get exposed. This story involves a lot of fear. Fear that you’re bad, fear that you’re a criminal that has done something wrong and that you’ll be found out at any moment.  You have a fear that you will be socially alienated or won’t fit in or won’t have a sense of belonging in the community. It’s difficult to stand up for what you believe or have debates in the community, because you’re constantly afraid that you won’t fit in that you will be ostracized or shamed in the community. You tend to feel isolated and you yearn to belong and to have a sense of community.

The helper/savior Schema:

The belief that you must put other people’s needs and feelings before you’re own or you will get punished, retaliated against, or abandoned. You end up giving in, accommodating and meeting the needs of others to the point where it starts feeling overwhelming in your life. You give more than you can handle and end up feeling exhausted and resentful.

Posted in Blog on October, 2016 By Avigail Lev

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