The Generalist Specialist

I hated tests in school. My blood pressure would rise at the prospect. My mouth would go dry. Everything would disappear and my mind would go blank. The only saving grace was hearing the phrase "This is a multiple choice test".

To the uninitiated, it was a choice of answers between a number possibilities. Like:
7. Which of the following times occur after 3pm?
       a) 9pm
       b) Midnight
       c) 9am
       d) All of the above.

Okay, trick question. But you get the idea. Ultimately, it would seem that you had a one-in-four chance of getting the answer right. If you were totally guessing, would that make it a four-in-one chance of getting the answer wrong?

Now that I'm an old fart, the "all of the above" answer has taken on a whole new meaning.

The propensity of professionals is to specialize. And the tendency of those who seek out professionals is to look for specialists. But apart from critical life-saving specialties, like brain surgeons, there are those who have spent their lives accumulating a broad knowledge in their field. And if they don't have the answer, they know where to find it.

Years ago in design and advertising you needed a twenty-person (or a two-hundred person) shop to access the skill sets required for quality of work. With the advent of technology, these tasks can be performed by smaller groups – and depending on the need, even by individuals. While large corporations tend to gravitate to creative shops of comparable size, the trend is changing as value is increasingly found in smaller, more economical enclaves.

Picking from multiple specialists to find a solution to your needs? Try accessing a Generalist Specialist.