Whether we like it or not, people tend to categorize things. Sometimes, they might associate a person with a particular activity or personality type. Maybe a group of people will be associated with a cause or hobby.
In work, you might have accepted the challenge of a specific task that nobody else wanted. You did it so well, that you are now the resident expert on the subject. The next time a task like this comes up, you might be asked to do a repeat. A few more times and you’ve been pigeonholed. To avoid this in the future, make sure you diversify yourself in the tasks that you take on. Take that extra training so you’re ready for a different challenge.
On the net, it seems like you can be pigeonholed without even knowing about it. Let’s say you’re a member of an organization that provides training and creates networking opportunities for professionals to advance their careers. There is a group called Professional Resource Network that has been doing this for many years. They’re a chapter of Experience Unlimited. This group was categorized with other groups that didn’t quite communicate their mission. This tells me that our marketing department needs to do some more work at sending the intended message to our target audience. I guess we have our work cut out for us.
Till next time, learn some new skills and take on new challenges