Why do we need specialists

Increasingly, the education system seems to want to reduce the time it takes for us to become productive members of the work force, so instead of exploring more options, we are encouraged to start narrowing them. Any field you go into, from finance to engineering, requires some degree of specialization. Once you land a job, the process of specialization only amplifies.

You become a specialist in certain aspects of the organization you work for. Then something happens. Maybe your specialty is no longer needed or gets replaced by technology. Or perhaps you get promoted. As you go up the ranks of the organization, your specialty becomes less and less important, and yet the tendency is to hold on to it longer and longer. These decisions ripple outward, and you have to spend time correcting your mistakes. The decision is personal. And most of the time we fail to see the life-changing implications of it.

Every day, we have to decide where to invest our time — do we become better at what we do or learn something new? Although Berlin later claimed the essay was not intended to be serious, it has become a foundational part of thinking about the distinction between specialists and generalists. A generalist is a person who is a competent jack of all trades, with lots of divergent useful skills and capabilities.

This is the handyman who can fix your boiler, unblock the drains, replace a door hinge, or paint a room. The general practitioner doctor whom you see for any minor health problem and who refers you to a specialist for anything major. The psychologist who works with the media, publishes research papers, and teaches about a broad topic. A specialist is someone with distinct knowledge and skills related to a single area.

This is the cardiologist who spends their career treating and understanding heart conditions. The scientist who publishes and teaches about a specific protein for decades. The developer who works with a particular program.

The generalist and the specialist are on the same continuum; there are degrees of specialization in a subject. Likewise, there is a spectrum for how generalized or specialized a certain skill is. Some skills — like the ability to focus, to read critically, or to make rational decisions — are of universal value.

Others are a little more specialized but can be used in many different careers. Examples of these skills would be design, project management, and fluency in a foreign language. The distinction between generalization and specialization comes from biology.

Species are referred to as either generalists or specialists, as with the hedgehog and the fox. A generalist species can live in a range of environments, utilizing whatever resources are available. Often, these critters eat an omnivorous diet. Raccoons, mice, and cockroaches are generalists. They live all over the world and can eat almost anything. I generally read about 75 books a year, attend five to ten conferences on different topics and look for new things to learn.

What a specialist can bring. Specialist can make magic. A specialist spends a significant amount of time, usually over 10, hours honing their craft. If you have a big problem or opportunity, you want to use a specialist. What if your generalists think they can do everything?

I see this a lot. This is why I believe clients always need to stay in charge of all professional relationships. Sometimes the line between needing a generalist and specialist is a narrow one. And that belief may be hurting businesses, suggest Wang and Murnighan. So before hiring another Jack-of-All-Trades, consider what you really need.

George Brandt, managing director of onboarding firm PrimeGenesis, emphasizes that different stages of company development require different degrees of specialization. For example, early-stage start-ups are more likely to require team members who can fill more than one role, while mid-sized and mature companies have room to pursue depth as well as breadth.

Finally, while specialists can expect better earning opportunities, finding suitable positions can be way tougher. Since you are searching for a narrowly defined job, your available options will also be limited too. In some cases, there are plenty of specialists competing for the same position. As a specialist, you also have to really stand out from the crowd. Becoming successful is possible. Or learn how to play chess starting at the age of four, pave your way to grandmaster rankings.

That is how Tiger Woods and the Polgar sisters were able to reach enormous success—by getting a head start on the rest of the world, specializing and honing their abilities until they reached utmost mastery.

Unfortunately, the latter are more prevalent in the complex, rapidly changing world in which we live. That means becoming a generalist that is someone who can embrace diverse experiences and perspectives may be more necessary than ever. The benefits of sacrificing depth for breadth for children learning music, sports, math, and art; college graduates trying to find their way; mid-career professionals searching for a change; and would-be retirees trying to find a new vocation.

It is true that specializing at a young age can push children ahead of the curve temporarily. But replacing intensive training with an approach focused on curiosity, creativity, and experimentation is what often leads to a permanent growth instead of short-lived success. Although a generalist approach may be beneficial in the classroom, how can it be applied to the broader world? It is by attaining breadth in different forms, you are more likely to both thrive in your workplace and be more satisfied with your job.

It is not a democratic decision. The answer is more in a mix of both. It is better to find a hybrid of the skill sets and be flexible and eager enough to be able to don on any hat as and when the situation calls for it. To be able to find your secure position in a company, you not only need to find yourself being useful in more ways than one but also be respectably skillful in all. The roles being termed as Generalizing Specialists — ones who are skilled in one but willing to learn skills in other trades, and Specializing Generalists — ones who are knowledgeable in many trades but also willing to increase that knowledge base to a proficiency.

It is helpful to have worked in a variety of industries, and over the course of your career, you will naturally have worked on a variety of business issues. This means that you have to exhaustively research your prospective employers. While you want to deeply understand the industry and the role, you also want to put forward a breadth of skills, especially if you are aiming for a management job.

In addition to the functional specialty for example, branding, direct response, digital, etc. You do not want to put all your eggs in one basket, and surely the employer is looking at other candidates, but you need to make them feel like this is your very first choice. To convey this effectively, you need specific reasons that this role, the company and the industry is the ideal next step for you.

So your desire is specific to the role at hand, but your approach is out-of-the-box and drawing from a wide expanse of interests and knowledge. In one case, you leaned onto interpersonal skills. In another, you had an innovative idea. In another, you efficiently managed a complex project and a cross-functional team.

You are flexible and even willing to use a variety of tools to get the job done. A generalizing specialist has a core competency which they know a lot about. At the same time, they are always learning and have a working knowledge of other areas. While a generalist has roughly the same knowledge of multiple areas, a generalizing specialist has one deep area of expertise and a few shallow ones.

We have the option of developing a core competency while building a base of interdisciplinary knowledge. Many specialists excel in their area of expertise, and with time, become highly valuable assets.