Chapter 7: Challenge: When is it too Much of a Good Thing?

From the earliest days of one’s career, individuals are told to pursue challenging jobs and professions so they might grow personally and professionally. Whether that advice enables individuals to gain desired financial success in a dream job or instead to pursue “hand-me-down-dreams” (Jacobsen, 2000, p. 59) from loved ones, aspirations towards pursuit of challenge and associated rewards have been central to many aspects of career development and decision-making (Hall, 1976; Lewin, 1956).

Using Sullivan and Maineiro’s (2007a) definition, challengeis “. . . engaging in activities that permit the individual to demonstrate responsibility, control, and autonomy while learning and growing” (p. 247). As a construct in the kaleidoscope career model (KCM), challenge is a lens that, along with authenticity and balance, shapes decisions throughout one’s career. In their work on the KCM, Sullivan and Mainero (2007b) noted that challenge is a strong motivator, such that individuals aspire to partake in stretch assignments and developmental opportunities as a way of growing professionally and developing a base of expertise.