For all those of you who are not "professionals" with deep experience in any one field, your time has come! At least according to Harvard lecturer Vikram Mansharamani. Read the entire article following the link, or see excerpts I have selected below:
His advice is that the "skill" needed for the future is not really a skill but more an approach, a philosophy and a way of thinking. "Breadth of perspective and the ability to connect the proverbial dots (the domain of generalists) is likely to be as important as depth of expertise and the ability to generate dots (the domain of specialists)." he says.
"To begin, it’s important to zoom out and pay more attention to the context in which you’re making decisions. Read the whole paper, not just the section about your industry. Is your primary focus oil and gas? Study the dynamics affecting the retail sector. Are you a finance professional? Why not read a book on marketing? Think bigger and wider than you’ve traditionally done."
"If you’re relatively new to the workforce, my advice is to manage your career around obtaining a diversity of geographic and functional experiences. The analytical capabilities you develop (e.g. basic statistical skills and critical reasoning) in the process will fare well when competing against those who are more focused on domain-specific skill."
So, as women, if we are already good at multitasking, good at keeping an eye on multiple things, good at being more adaptable, being a generalist should not be a stretch huh? At least this research supports that thinking!!
Check out his article in "Make It"....it makes sense at face value, but whether employers will back this kind of thinking, whether the HR specialists think it is credible, I guess time will tell. But I did want to pass this on to all QV Women out there.....
#generalist #womenandmultitasking #thinkforyourself #hbrpress #mansharamani
I agree. However, the focus of this person's research pertains to the viability of generalists vis a vis the 'type' of jobs that are more available now / will be available in the future.
I think that is where the advantage of being a generalist makes one valuable....there will always be a place for specialists, as long as their area of expertise is still required in the marketplace, as you have said!!
I don't agree with the article that generalists are (or will be) more in demand than specialists. I think that is totally dependent on the job you are being hired for. Some jobs require specialists, some prefer generalists. I do agree about adaptability and think the ability to pick up new skills quickly is always going to be a plus and give you an advantage in the job market. But certain jobs are going to require deeper knowledge and expertise in a certain area, so I don't think experts are at a disadvantage in the job market. I actually think they are typically still at an advantage (unless their expertise is in a skill that no longer is in demand.) However, if they are experts who are unwilling to learn new skills, that might be a problem.
@Yvette Francino , did you get a chance to read the entire article? Do you think what he's saying is realistic? From a hiring viewpoint, I'm yet to meet a HR person who would advise that openly.... the ones I have met are more about, no matter how much you know, they find a way to say you're not qualified enough!! I know they have someone from Google saying so and so in the article, but I wonder how much of that trickles down to 'regular' sized companies!!
I should probably have a pointed discussion about this with some HR people I know!!
Thanks for sharing, Aparna! I've always thought it's kind of a personality thing. Some people prefer to be a generalist and some would rather be a specialist. As an entrepreneur, it's probably best to be more of a generalist or hire others to do the work that requires the skills that aren't your strong suit. I think the real key that the author of the article is getting to is that it's important to be adaptable... something that is a key tenet of Agile frameworks! As an Agile coach, I feel very lucky because, whether in my professional or personal life, I've learned to embrace change and adapt to changing circumstances. Agile practices are a specialty that are used in any profession!