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When I am interested in someone's background, I ask about their education and encounter. These two aspects of a person's bio are, in my view, primary predicators of what a positive person is capable of doing.
As crucial as they may be, I think we can, in particular circumstances, have too a lot of each. Contemplate expertise. When it is beneficial, too a great deal of one kind of experience can hamper a person's growth, threaten job security, and possibly get rid of the possibility of career security. Leadership writer John Maxwell says, "Countless men and women end up in the wrong location only because they stayed in the proper location too lengthy." Og Mandino, author and lecturer, writing in his book The Greatest Salesman in the World, gives this warning about staying in the perfect location too long: "I will commence my journey unencumbered with either the weight of unnecessary knowledge or the handicap of meaningless expertise...In truth, encounter teaches thoroughly but her course of instruction devours men's years so the value of her lessons diminishes with the time essential to acquire her special wisdom."
Maxwell's and Mandino's thoughts suggest that, whilst encounter is valuable, an excess of one type of encounter will hamper one's individual and skilled growth. The comfort of routine is one reason we may possibly get trapped in one type of encounter. Being too busy to step back and evaluate our progress as influenced by experiences is a different reason.
A third achievable reason for staying in one location too long is a deep-seated fear of advancement. That is, the argument, weak as it may perhaps be, that we will need extra encounter becomes the rationale for staying put. A final, and pretty legitimate reason for extending a specific encounter, is the desire to be prepared prior to taking on a new function or position. This last situation could be the most tricky, of all the causes, to analyze. How do we know when we have enough?
1 way of evaluating the value of our experiences and to decide whether or not to extend them or move on is to update and then evaluation our resumes. Look at the past 5 years. What have we learned about technologies, communication, management and leadership? How have our attitudes changed? Over those past 5 years have we had 5 years of experience or 1 year 5 times? If the latter, commit to moving on, that is, gaining new expertise. Continuous improvement ought to be our guide. Heed the tips of minister and writer, Ralph Waldo Emerson: "Do not be too timid and squeamish about your actions. All life is an experiment."