Which one is better, being a specialist or generalist? Well, maybe not any of them. Instead, the better choice is being a versatilist. There is a good note about it in a Gartner study quoted in The World is Flat by Thomas Friedman:
Specialists generally have deep skills and narrow scope, giving them expertise that is recognized by peers but seldom valued outside their immediate domain.
Generalists have broad scope and shallow skills, enabling them to respond or act reasonably quickly but often without gaining or demonstrating the confidence of their partners or customers.
Versatilists, in contrast, apply depth of skill to a progressively widening scope of situations and experiences, gaining new competencies, building relationships, and assuming new roles.
Friedman added that “versatilists are capable not only of constantly adapting but also of constantly learning and growing” and that they are comparable to “Swiss Army knives” rather than “specialty tools”.
I totally agree with it. This is a fast-changing world, so the best people are those who can quickly adapt and take opportunities of the new waves. From this, we can see that there are actually two things versatilists do:
- They recognize that a new wave is coming before anybody else, and
- They adapt themselves quickly to take the opportunities of the new wave.
To do point 1, we need something I call anticipation engine, while to do point 2 we need something I call learning engine. So, if we are to be a versatilist, we need to focus on building these two things: “anticipation engine” and “learning engine”.
Somehow, it matches very well with what I believe to be the most important skill: the ability to choose what to learn and to learn them quickly.
Anticipation engine deals with the first part of the skill, that is “the ability to choose what to learn”, while learning engine deals with the second part, that is “to learn them quickly”. If we have a good anticipation engine, we will know what the next wave is and where the opportunities will be. From there, we can correctly choose what to learn. Then, after choosing what to learn, the learning engine will help us to learn them quickly so that we can adapt and take opportunities of the new wave.
The graph below summarizes what I believe to be the “ingredients” of versatilists:
Note:
Of course, versatilists need more than just anticipation engine and learning engine to succeed. To execute the third step in the graph - taking opportunities of the new wave - they also need other skills such as communication skill or conflict resolution. But these are not what make versatilists different from the rest; specialists and generalists also possess these skills. What make versatilists different are their anticipation and learning engine.
Comment by Donald Latumahina
17 19. August 2008, 11:34 pm o'clock |
Helio,
I think versatilists are not deeper and wider at the same time. Instead, they go deep on one subject at a time. Their strength lies in their ability to pick the right subject and quickly learn it.
Comment by Helio Miranda
16 18. August 2008, 9:39 am o'clock |
I think that the problem of being “deeper and wider” as Slavi’s professors said, is the time. It looks like the Versalist is a combination of a Specialist with a Generalist. It’s a person who have a relative deep technical knowledge in some areas with the skill to connect it with fields that borders with them. As we all know it’s not a easy task to build a deep knowledge, it may take years before you can use a skill efficiently. I wonder how the Versalist will deal with this apparent overload (of being deeper and wider at the same time). Maybe this is the biggest challenge: How to be the right versalist at the right time…
Comment by Donald Latumahina
15 7. March 2008, 2:42 am o'clock |
Slavi,
You’re welcome, I’m glad you like it. I agree with your professor. Being specialist is good, but being versatilist is even better.
Comment by Slavi
14 5. March 2008, 11:10 am o'clock |
Hi.
thanks for the great post!
I asked one of my professors from the University what should I put as my future goals be a specialist or generalist and she replied to me:
it depends on your personal goals, if you want to work a non-managerial positions you could be specialist, on the other hand if you want to really succeed you have to go deeper and wider, i.e. Versatilist.
Take care,
Slavi
Comment by Donald Latumahina
13 14. February 2008, 1:01 am o'clock |
You’re welcome, Chiz!
Comment by chiz
12 12. February 2008, 12:50 pm o'clock |
Good post. You make some great points that most people
do not fully understand.
“Of course, versatilists need more than just anticipation engine and learning engine to succeed. To execute the third step in the graph - taking opportunities of the new wave - they also need other skills such as communication skill or conflict resolution.”
I like how you explained that. Very helpful. Thanks.
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# 4. October 2008, 3:14 am o'clock |
[...] Be a Winner by Being a Versatilist: What, Why and How [...]
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#1 30. September 2008, 11:22 am o'clock |
[...] Be a Winner by Being a Versatilist: What, Why and How [...]
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#2 19. July 2007, 9:52 pm o'clock |
[...] You should have deep knowledge in one or two fields which become your specialization (the head of the tail). These are the fields for which you are known to the outside world. On the other side, you should know a little about a lot of other fields, even those unrelated to your specialization (the long tail). Knowing these other fields helps you understand what options are available and quickly recognize emerging trends. You can then move fast to ride the waves of those emerging trends. This way you will become a versatilist. [...]
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#3 22. May 2007, 11:57 am o'clock |
[...] I use the term “anticipation engine” for this ability to anticipate the future. This is an important part of being a versatilist (see Be a Winner by Being a Versatilist: What, Why and How). But how do we build the anticipation engine? [...]