Stop Treating Everyone the Same – Accommodations aren’t the problem … our assumptions are

Paul Wagenaar

This is a longer read than usual, but it’s written that way intentionally.

Because the way we think about accommodations, fairness, and performance in the workplace is often oversimplified, and those oversimplifications shape how people are supported, evaluated, and sometimes misunderstood.

If you’ve ever questioned whether “treating everyone the same” is actually fair in practice, this is worth your time.

Opening the door …

Paul Wagenaar

You can do everything right in a job search… and still hear, “You were our second choice.”

That’s the part no one talks about.
Chance and luck still play a role … in timing, competition, and opportunity.

But here’s the truth: you can’t control luck… you can only increase how often it finds you.

More effort. More visibility. More conversations.

More chances for the right door to open.
Stay in the game long enough … and eventually, it does.

Shine a Light on the Darkness: Seeing Through Misinformation and Media Noise

Paul Wagenaar

Most of what we see isn’t designed to inform us, it’s designed to move us.

Not toward truth, but toward reaction.

The real skill isn’t knowing everything, it’s knowing when to pause, question, and look a little closer before deciding what’s real.

Keeping a job – a short guide to standing out

Paul Wagenaar

Most people don’t lose jobs because they can’t do the work, they lose them because of how they show up, day after day.

Everything you do is a test, and your reputation is built in the small, ordinary moments most people overlook.

Stand out by being reliable, curious, and willing to learn, consistently, not occasionally.

“Look at My Feet While I’m Talking to You”:

Paul Wagenaar

“Look at my feet while I’m talking to you.”
That sounds wrong. Disrespectful, even. It goes against what most of us have been taught about attention, engagement, and respect.
But what if it’s not wrong?
What if it’s not a correction of the person, but of the standard we’re using to judge them?
Most of the conflict we experience with people living with autism isn’t about effort.
It’s about misinterpretation.
We don’t just see behavior, we assign meaning to it.
And too often, we’re wrong.

Coaching Minor Sports: If They Come Back, You Got It Right

Paul Wagenaar

Children’s and youth sports start and finish all the time, whether at the beginning, middle, or end of a season. What matters is not the scoreboard or the record, but the experiences they carry with them during the season, and especially when it ends.

Coaching minor sports is not about winning games. It’s about building confidence, creating belonging, and giving kids a reason to come back. If they come back, you got it right.

Inside the Interview Part 5:

Paul Wagenaar

Most people think hiring decisions are about choosing the best candidate.
They’re not.
Hiring is about removing enough doubt to say yes.
And once you understand that interviews start to make a lot more sense.

Inside the Interview – Part 4

Paul Wagenaar

Most candidates walk into an interview hoping they’ll say the right thing. The best candidates walk in already understanding what matters to the employer.

Preparation is the one part of the job search you fully control, and it’s where most people fall short. When you take the time to understand the organization, align your answers to their needs, and follow through with intention, you’re no longer just another applicant. You’re someone who made it easier to say yes.

A Simple Tool to Expose How Candidates Really Think

Paul Wagenaar

Most hiring mistakes happen before the interview begins.

Resumes can be polished, charm can be rehearsed, and yet the person you hire may not be the one your organization truly needs. A simple pre-interview questionnaire reveals how candidates think, respond under pressure, and treat people they believe won’t influence their outcome.

Hiring isn’t about perfection—it’s about understanding real thinking before it costs you.