Specialists and generalists
Are you a specialist, or a generalist? Should you hire a generalist or a specialist? Seth Godin suggested that there’s no reason to be a generalist (note: since I first read it, he’s toned it down a bit):
If I need an animator, I can find the world’s best animator. If I need a bond to insure my movie, I can find the best broker at selling completion bonds. If I need SEO help, get me the world’s best SEO person. If I need braces, I can find the best orthodontist in my area. Not the second-best or someone who will try really hard or someone who is pretty good at that and also good at other things.
…
If you’re shaking your head in agreement with this obvious point, then the question is: tell me again why you’re a generalist?
Well, I wasn’t shaking my head in agreement, I was sighing. There are three reasons that generalists are useful.
The first is that sometimes you don’t know if you need the world’s best SEO person, or a kick-ass direct marketer, or an event marketer. A generalist can help you figure out what to do.
The second is that those specialists can be hard to find and engage, and the generalists can help you locate them. (And yes, there’s always more than one in any category, and some are better for some people than others, and the generalist can help you sort that out too.
The third is that unless you are living an extremely privileged existence, resources are limited. I would love it if I could hire Houston’s most amazing plant specialist to take care of my yard, a gifted dog trainer who spent a decade turning wild dogs into household pets to give us obedience classes, the city’s premier interior designer to help be decide where to place the couch and two chairs in the living room of small but delightful bungalow, and a world famous style consultant to help me pick my wardrobe. Because I live in reality, I forgo these specialists. People who understand all the basics of lawn care take care of my yard. I arrange my own furniture because, well, there’s not much of it, and I’m know what works. And so on.
The thing that gave me a chuckle about this post: Seth Godin is a very smart business and marketing generalist, which is why you should read his blog.
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Well said.
Specializing in being a generalist (which I work hard to do) is a commitment that’s different from being pretty good under the circumstances at a few things…
thanks for reading!
One note, when Seth talks about “the best,” it is framed in very specific parameters. If I was going to hire “the best” guitar player for my party (unless I have unlimited budget and contacts), it is not going to be David Gilmore. It would be “the best” guitar player for $100, who lives in my city, will play the songs we want, etc..
As far as “the best,” that is necessary for outsourcing. In house, if not generalist, narrow specialties need to be approached with caution. With so much in the business world changing rapidly, tight specialization can translate into obsolescence. And hiring is an expensive process.