Career Mission Chief Executive Officer, A. Harrison Barnes, in a webinar discussed the importance of being aware of how long people have been around.

Harrison believes that it is of prime importance to evaluate companies, individuals, and various groups of people before associating yourself with them. Doing so, you could save yourself from a great deal of trouble and tremendous amount of worry. Prior to taking any important decision, it is highly advisable that you ask yourself several questions. For instance, why is this person surrounded by all new and not old friends, where did all the employees go, and what is going on here? The answers you get will either give you confidence about the company or individual, or it could help in surfacing valuable warning signs.

As Harrison looked at it, most of the people who work for Donald Trump have worked for him for decades and are tremendously loyal to him. This by itself means that he is doing something right. Likewise, if you have had the same friends and acquaintances for decades, if you are working in a business where people have worked there for 10, 20 or 30 years, or if you are considering being friends with someone who is surrounded by people they have been friends with for years, it all has a positive note to it and you know that it is the right person, business or relationship. Similarly, when you are evaluating employers, it is important to insure that you end up working in places that are likely to be good for you in the long term.