We’ve Been Doing This for “X Number” of Years

Mountains of advantages come from good ol’ fashion experience.  Many things in life and business come from putting the time in, logging in hours and simply doing it.

But what about when the banner of “we’ve been doing this for x number of years” becomes a stumbling block?  Or can it become a stumbling block?  Or is it a superman vest that reflects all barbs of life and your experience will overcome everything?

Some allow their experience to put them on a pedestal.  It clouds their minds on who they think they should speak with, or share time with or who is due the “graciousness of their presence”.

Experience

There are others, who have experience and that experience leads them to be humble, teachable, eager to learn what they haven’t already grasped, eager to learn more of what they already know, flexible…you get my drift.  These folks are easy to work with.  They take time to share knowledge and help bring people up to their level.  They also seem to “roll better with the punches”. 

I work and live in place and in an industry that requires you to be as fluid as water.  If you are rigid and stringent, China will eat your lunch and pop the bag.  This place changes on a daily basis.  Rules can be there one week and gone the next.  Companies you thought were solid partners can disappear in a flash.  If you are set in your ways and in your mind on how things are done, should be done and need to be done, then YOU’LL be done.

Although China is changing faster than any other developing and (needless to say) developed nation, this day and age, aspects of the outside world are not that much different.  You’ve got economic worries, technology changing at the speed of light (think about your daily tech and internet walk today compared to exactly 10 years ago), trusted brands and stores we once new have disappeared, consumer habits are changing where I no longer have to listen to YOUR newscast and watch YOUR commercial. 

Adaptability doesn’t trump experience, but the truly experienced know how to go with the flow and adapt to ever-changing landscapes – It’s a right balance of both…

Now I’m just thinking out loud, but if I fall back on “x number of years” but are not the best in my field or not even as good as I would like to be, then is that “x number” doing what it should be doing or is there more I need to do?

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