Generalist or specialist – what do you want to be?

You must place your skills under a magnifying glass for checking if you are a generalist or a specialist. Whatever you discern of yourself notwithstanding, it has been proven that over fifty per cent of employees who are otherwise deemed to be specialists regard themselves as generalists though they were originally hired for their forte to perform specific and expert roles.

If the above phenomena persists, there will this great perilous possibility of having a cohort of generalists. And regrettably, it will result in serious hurdles in personal career advancement and eventually cause immense damage to individual, organisational and national capacity to participate effectually in an international or multinational environment.

In the light of the above, when you set out to find a fresh responsibility for yourself, will it be advantageous to be a generalist or a specialist.

Generalists, as the term implies, possess a very wide-ranging and all-encompassing expertise and familiarity in an equally broad spectrum of branches of learning but within the gamut of their line of work. On the other hand, specialists would have transformed their reputation to becoming a should-visit-for-consultation person. Evidently, the specialist would have invested both their wealth and time to acquire that status. For example, a TV anchor may possess the requisite experience and communication skills to host shows, an electronic media political analyst would be adept at dealing with any point that may crop up during a discussion on political affairs.

CV drafters have always counselled job seekers to desist from sounding excessively generalist in their resumes. This is largely because of the fact that special expertise is highly appreciated and sought after on account of the difficulties involved in teaching them. However, a number of professionals opine that such a trend is set to be altered as companies increasingly resort to employees well-versed in dual disciplines. The net outcome is that more and more people are being assigned generalist tasks as well and which has resulted in placing increased reliance on outsourcing for specialist work. Companies also save money in following this route.

People who are standing at the threshold of their careers as generalists perhaps seek to validate various alternatives available to them before they become specialists. They would be able to discern precisely what their ideal charter ought to be, given their experience and skills. Specializing in a particular field would be a later option. To illustrate the point, graduates joining a company would initially be required to work in rotation in various departments of different verticals prior to being selected for employment in a specific field of work.

The opposite spectrum of any career would inevitably have people with skills and outlook,   typical of generalists. And at that level, they would be beneficial too. Research has proved that as one climbs the career ladder, the requirement of general and managerial expertise is enhanced. If you were to follow and apply them during the early stages of your career with adroitness, the prospects of you being elevated to a different level will be heightened tremendously.      

How do you then play your cards well? You should understand that eventually, you will stand to gain if your wide skill-sets have inherent peppering of some expert knowledge. While this would be workable for the large majority, some people who are inclined to delve into the details of a matter may have to stripe and grapple with their jobs and careers. Specialists however, can still enhance their perspectives and acquire ascendancy if they participate in projects, become members of steering outfits, engage in social service activities with the intended objective of gaining practical acquaintances. The necessity to comprehend the requirement to alter your outlook to make it more open and attempt to even alter it needs no emphasis. It will remain the bottom line for sure and an experience of delight for certain.

They say that intellectually curious men become generalists and intellectually lazy men settle for being specialists. There is a seduction to being an expert, an assumption in society that credibility relies on deep (and narrow) know-hows and capabilities. However, for people operating at the edges, intersections and overlaps where novelty flourishes, being a generalist is definitely more powerful. And the responsibilities involved are tougher than ever before despite their powerful role in business & innovation. But there is a word of caution here – you may be able to put across novel ideas but the requirement to obtain prior acquiescence of the specialists should not be seen as an impediment.