OMG! You’re a Generalist?

If only it was contagious

I’m sure you’ve heard the saying “jack of all trades, master of none”. Being a “jack of all trades” (JoaT, for brevity) means you have more than passable knowledge of many “trades”. Many skills. You’re able to navigate unfamiliar situations towards a workable solution.

Maybe the solution you arrived at isn’t conventional. Maybe it isn’t even logical. Yet, it works. (We can also consider if it’s legal or ethical, however, for this exercise we will assume that all is above board - though, there’s an argument to be made in support of this, but maybe for a later post). In the world of a generalist, solving the problem is the most important thing. The method or mechanism is secondary.

A master, according to Merriam-Webster dictionary is defined as:

“: having chief authority; being skilled or proficient”

Mastery. Knowledge or special skill derived from training or experience.

Who can say that a JoaT isn’t also a master, by that definition? It’s a matter of perspective.

Being a generalist means considering more than just the obvious possibilities. Out of the box thinking. Anyone can think of the obvious!

You may need to brute-force your way to a solution. None of the finesse or delicateness of a “master”. Yet, the outcome can be the same.

But I don’t want to get hung up on semantics. I may identify as an expert in a particular area of skills I have, however, I don’t think of myself in that way.

What is clear is that my years of living and working has exposed me to many different areas and experiences. All of these experiences have left their own imprint on me. You can’t have the various roles I’ve had, been exposed to the different environments, and not develop the necessary skills to adapt, survive and prosper.

I’ve had 2 major working stints in my life. Both have lasted at least 16 years each, with the latest one still ongoing. You don’t have that kind of longevity being in one niche role. Not today, anyway. You must develop and adapt skills or you don’t last.

At this juncture I feel I need to clear something up. In saying the above, let me be clear - I am not special. I am smart. I can work things out for myself once led down a path. I am intelligent. I can think for myself and make decisions. This effectively describes 80% of the population (your number may differ here…I tend to think that, given an opportunity, a good portion of the populous would exhibit similar traits. Maybe I’m wrong. Glass half full). I know my sh!t stinks, but this is my point. Nobody is born a master of their domain.

My first 16 year stint had me working on board level electronic repairs (something I studied at uni/college but was utterly unprepared for in the real world), doing sales (like, WTF!?), marketing, deliveries, customer service. The “benefits” of working for a small family business. You cannot buy that kind of education, but it wasn’t much to society’s benefit.

My second 16 year stretch (which is ongoing) had me working on servers, software, project management, and now service management of an international team of 25. In healthcare. Closer aligned to saving babies. Definitely a more fulfilling experience, personally.

Anyway, what’s the point of the history lesson? Simple really. Anyone who has been working for 3+ decades, in more than a few roles, has a wealth of experience and knowledge far beyond what they may originally think. That ticks all the generalist boxes.

What’s your story?

Until next time.