Which is the better choice - being a Generalist or a Specialist?


In everyone’s career there comes a time to make a crucial choice.  There is not judgment on the choice.  But once made, it is hard to reverse.  Mr. Joe Francis (1986, Metallurgy) who has spent time at a major multi-national corporation deliberates on this choice.


Mr. Joe Francis (1986, Metallurgy)

Introduction

What do I choose to become? Which one would offer me more opportunity? Which one would pay me more? Which one will help me grow faster? 

When you start your first job you may not ask all these questions as you may look for an association with a well-regarded brand.  You might be focused on a particular industry or perhaps even a location.  

However sooner or later you will be faced with the question of whether you become a generalist in your career or become a specialist.  To understand these choices and the implications we need to start from the definition.  

My early understanding of Generalists & Specialists

When I graduated as an engineer in 1986 from PSG College of Technology, I did not know what a generalist meant as I had not heard that word.

But I could imagine what a specialist meant.  For example doctors who specialized in particular area, like ENT, Cardiology, Orthopedics etc.  Patients sought the specialists when they felt that their case was beyond the generalists or based on the generalists advice.

It was much later in my corporate career that I came across generalist and grew an appreciation for generalists. My understanding was that a generalist is someone who has a wider perspective, has varied experience and manages the whole business with multiple functions and deliverables. I aspired to become one and ended up doing varied roles and multiple functions.

Definition


Generalist

Specialist

Less competent in more
More competent in less

Knows less of more

Knows more of less

Less skilled on more


More skilled on less
More width and less depth
More depth with less width

Beyond the definition we make many general associations with the generalist as well as the specialist. 


Generalist 

-       Jack of all and master of none 
-       Character that can fit anywhere
-       All-rounder
-       Competent in several fields
-       Can do anything
-       Overall in-charge
-       No defined role
-       Big Picture people
-       General Managers
-       Problem Solver

Specialist 

-       Authority
-       Subject Matter Expert
-       Deep domain focus
-       Functional expertise
-       Little knowledge beyond their specialization
-       Lack big picture
-       Works in a silo
-       Expensive


Value

This is where a world of generalization and specialization differentiates! We pay relatively more for specialty restaurants and specialty products. We ask people what they specialize in. Hence in general a specialist has a higher probability to have a higher perceived value. However this is not universally true and would be different at different situations.

For example a start-up company values generalists, simply because they cannot afford specialists. When start-ups hire generalists they can do more with less number of generalists as they double up in other areas as well unlike specialists. 

However, an established and growing company would value and invest in more specialists.  The generalists are less likely to be hassled by uncertainties and they are of higher value at uncertain times and situations.  When you select a teacher you may value a specialist but when it comes to a mentor you may value a generalist.

Some differences

Generalists solve problem at hand - they look for solutions for the problems at hand and tackle problems that involve specialties beyond theirs.

Specialists give solutions at hand – they look for problems with the solution at hand and tackle problems bounded by their specialty

Generalists are the ones who can assume the role of a specialist that is needed for the situation.

Even a General Manager is a specialist as he or she is a specialist in managing the overall business involving multiple outcomes. 

Reality

No one is a 100% specialist since in reality one would always be a partial generalist.

In a corporate scenario as you grow in your responsibility, the very responsibility may make you a generalist as you are called to do more. Also that most people will have secondary interests or would be forced to do beyond their specialization and hence no one is a 100% specialist.

Similarly no one could remain a 100% generalist as you are expected do many things well and at least one thing extraordinarily. 

The perception of you will always be relative to start with. You will be perceived as a specialist if what is seen of you is higher than what they have in them. If you have relatively higher knowledge on something you are credited to be a specialist.

The equation tilts when others knowledge goes higher than yours or the environment are changed. Once specialist will always be a specialist is not true! Let us say you are specialized in selling to consumer. When the consumer buying behavior changes and if you have not kept pace with your learning you no longer will be a specialist. 

What do businesses need?

Being a specialist is how one would be known, valued, hired, or promoted.  Specialists do very well when the future is known and predictable. 

But the business world is evolving so fast that the future is becoming more uncertain and ambiguous. Hence future plans will no longer work for decades or even years. Businesses want to plan for the future that is known and hence is shrinking the definition of future itself. Soon the measure of future would be in quarters or months since any future plan may not work beyond that period. 

Hence businesses still need specialists but these specialists need to remain specialists by staying relevant. That is possible only when one keeps learning and become a specialist on more than one thing. 

Specialists will continue to be in demand. If one is a specialist in marketing to consumer he or she is more likely to be hired by companies that have consumer-focused businesses. While one is a specialist in marketing to consumer and if you have also learnt enough about social media marketing, selling online one would soon have become a specialist in online sales and social media (where we would have started as a generalist).

Potentially we could now be hired by a Business-to-Business (B2B) company who wants to leverage social media and online sales as they may perceive us as a specialist. 

It would be easy to become a specialist in the area of adjacencies and many times it may become mandatory to become a specialist in these adjacencies to remain a specialist in the core.

For example, when one is selling to consumer, social media and online sales are mandatory to know. The adjacencies that one is specialized in could become adjacencies or even core for some others and that opens up opportunities.

Simply put keep yourself updated, renewed and changed to stay specialist and add more specializations to stay relevant, be valued, be recognized and remembered.

It is worthwhile remembering the 80/20 rule.  Be 80% specialist and 20% generalist to have a pipeline of future specialization. This will help you have a broad view and also make you multi-dimensional. 

Summary

In the final analysis, I feel that it is not about choosing to be a generalist or a specialist.   What is important is to do something in our area of interest and earn enough to support the lifestyle that we are comfortable with so that we enjoy what we do and that gives us the opportunity to stay specialized in the general area of interest. 

When we are in our area of interest we will have the interest to learn more within that to stay relevant and remain a specialist for the known future.   Is it better to have one great friend or many good friends? I would say it is best to have few great friends but to keep many good friends as well.  In the same way specialization in more than one (with general knowledge on many) would not let you down.  My best advice is to consider oneself a generalist and to learn continuously and become more of specialist over time.

About the author:
Joe Francis lives with his family in Bangalore.  He is a freelance Consultant & Independent Director.  He worked for twenty seven years at multinational corporations before striking out on his own.  He was a hosteller at PSG College of Technology and graduated with a degree in metallurgy.


1 comment:

  1. This is so insightful Joe. Appreciate that you wrote about this. And I feel good being one 'generalist'. :)

    ReplyDelete