Society of Consulting Psychology

The polls, pols, and pundits all got it wrong—and the world was stunned when Donald Trump defeated Hillary Clinton. People are still reeling; from the talking heads on TV to the regulars at the coffee shop to onlookers around the globe, the question is, “How did this happen?”

Let’s talk about stereotypes we hold about different occupational groups and professions. Would you rather have lunch with a gardener, an executive, a genetics counselor or an investment banker? The images start to roll as we think about this possibility. Those in financial services have had their reputations tarnished since the financial crisis, as dramatized by the 2015 Academy Award-winning film The Big Short. Yet, individual people in financial services sometimes feel they have been personally held accountable for things they had nothing to do with.