We are used to thinking that a high level of qualification means an increase in trust at work, career, income. A specific way of thinking, however, was not taken seriously by anyone. But this may change in the future: the breadth of perspective and the ability to connect common dots (the field of generalists) are likely to be just as important as experience and the ability to generate those very points (the field of specialists).
Rapid advances in technology coupled with increased uncertainty make the career logic of the past counterproductive in the future. Simply put, the world has changed, but our philosophy of skill development has remained the same.
Today's situation requires the ability to make decisions in ambiguous and ill-defined situations, a context that worries most because it has always been safer to generalize.
Think of some of the buzzwords that have been common in business recommendation over the past 40-50 years: core competency, unique skills, deep experience. Previously, the key to success was specialization, which allowed them to grow in their careers.
It was not enough to be a doctor; it was necessary to specialize, perhaps, in cardiology. But it was not enough to be a cardiologist, it was necessary to specialize already, perhaps, as a cardiac surgeon. And it's not just medicine, this happens in almost all professions.
The message was clear: Focus on developing experiences and you will climb the career ladder and make more money. The approach worked. Many of today's leaders have achieved success through specialization.
The future belongs to generalists
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But the past does not always guarantee future success. The pendulum between depth and width swung too far in favor of depth.
It is often said that "for a man with a hammer, everything looks like nails." But what if that person has a hammer, screwdriver, and wrench? Can he or she notice a narrow gap that suggests using a screwdriver? Or perhaps consider the shape of a flat top. A circle? Hexagon? Maybe a wrench would be a more effective tool? Finally, simply adding these tools can help you better understand the problem.
This does not mean that deep experience is useless. A hammer is always useful. It's just that our world is changing so quickly that those with more tools at their disposal will be better able to navigate in uncertainty. In today's world, it is important to be flexible.
What it means to be a generalist
But how do you achieve this? For starters, it's important to zoom out and pay more attention to the context in which you make decisions.
Read the entire article, not just the section on your industry. Is your main focus on oil and gas? Study the dynamics affecting the retail sector. Are you a finance professional? Why not read a book on marketing? Think wider than you are used to.
Another strategy is to reflect on how seemingly unrelated events can influence each other, which people who think systemically do naturally. Explore the relationships between industries and imagine how changes in one can disrupt work in another.
Since station wagons have a wide range of tools at hand, they can dynamically adjust their actions as the situation develops. Think how quickly the world has changed with the development of the Internet and wireless technologies. Jeff Bezos was not a retail specialist, but he beat his competitors. He was a relative newcomer to retail, but nevertheless succeeded in adapting and seizing new opportunities.
Career success for generalists
Many promising companies are looking for generalists today. This is important for large organizations like Google, for example, where employees move from team to team and from role to role.
Lisa Stern Hayes, one of Google's top recruiters, shared on her podcast that the company values problem solvers, people with “general cognitive abilities,” not related roles.
“Think how quickly Google is growing,” she says. "If you just hire someone to do a certain job and then the company needs a change, you need to be sure that that person will be useful to you in the future."
If you are relatively new to the job market, my advice is to manage your career by gaining a variety of geographic and functional opportunities. The analytical capabilities you develop (for example, basic statistical skills and critical reasoning) in this process will be of great help in competing with those more focused on domain-specific skills.