In praise of Specialists, Generalists.

In praise of Specialists, Generalists.

This has been a very interesting week for me in many regards. I am particularly blessed with a somewhat large, very interesting and very diverse group of people in my life that I call friends. Over the past week I have engaged in various forms of conversation with many of them and found myself struck by the self-evident and not too incredibly profound point: They all think about things and perceive the world differently. And they are all very frustrated that they can’t seem to get anyone else to see the world their way. (I know, quite the thunderbolt of realization there)

Then I had a conversation with a mentor of mine, Chris Holman. He is already an uber-successful small business owner/operator/guru. (here’s a link to two of his ventures: TheGreater Lansing Business Monthly and the brand-new Michigan Business Network) While we were talking, he shared with me that he seemed to feel he was working too hard on parts of a project that he wasn’t particularly good at. (a shocking statement for me because I can’t imagine a world in which Chris isn’t #1 or #2 of the smartest or most gifted people in whatever room he is in) He indicated that in order to be successful at this project he needed to get to the point where he was focusing on what he is really GOOD at; his strengths and not his weaknesses. In short, his specialty. He said, that in his various careers, that when he is working on what he excels at he succeeds. This was quite a revelation to me because of the following point: That is sooooo NOT me!

I am, in most respects, a generalist. In my work life I can write a press release, and then program a computer with a radio automation clock, and then host a talk show, and then design a web page, and then build a single-purpose specialized room from a couple of screws and 2x4s, and then give Lansing and Mid-Michigan an accurate and dependable weather forecast whilst looking handsome in a dark chocolate suit with tastefully appointed neck-wear, and then sweep the floor and wash the windows and repair the starter cable for the company van. All in the same 24 hour period. Most of us are like this in some respects. Very few of us in today’s world have the time, luxury or function to simply focus on one thing. But perhaps most of us should.

Because I couldn’t sleep last night, (90 degrees when you don’t have AC) I started thinking about where I am in my own life. What is it that I am good at? What is my SPECIALTY? For me, it happens to be the stringing together of words to form ideas that are clearly understood (at least most of the time) and being able to present those words with confidence and authority. This has always been my natural talent to a certain extent. I was always the kid who wanted/needed to be the one to read in front of the class. To give the speech for the group. To figure out what my co-horts were trying to say and then break it down into the message of what it REALLY is all about. That’s what my strength is, my specialty. But it is certainly not just a natural talent. I’ve spent decades studying effective communicators, practicing their patterns out-loud, learning the reasons why what they do if effective, practicing some more, making mistakes with presentations, and going back to the learning/practicing/doing endless circle. This is what specialists do. Even the greatest athletes in the world spend countless hours getting better at their craft, or at least the most successful ones do. Sure, they are naturally talented to begin with, but that only gets them so far. Specialists take what they are good at and DO it, and then practice and then do it some more. And most of the time, do it so well that they are paid to perform their particular specialty.

In this moment of zen, I have determined that I need to start doing the things I am good at more in my life. To refine my strengths and not worry so much about my weaknesses. I am never going to be a gifted scientist, as my friend Ben Bowers is (facebook link to Ben here), no matter how long I study or how many books I read. I am never going to be a head baseball coach at a major university (Jake Boss, head baseball coach Michigan State…I went to college with him, great guy!) no matter how hard I try. I am never going to be a practicing dentist like my best (and often neglected) friend Steve Hane. (if you live near Birmingham in Michigan you should totally go to him…dude is lights-out when it comes to dental work) But I can learn enough about all of these topics to be able to boil them down to a 10 minute compelling presentation that suits a particular audience. I know a lot of professionals who are paid to present their expertise to groups who simply fail in this regard. They know all there is to know about their specialty, but what they need to do is seek out someone who can help them connect with others.

I started thinking about how the world seems to have changed a bit in the last decade or two. How specialties are often discounted and disregarded, how everyone seems to think that they know just as much as the “expert” because they Googled an article on the topic. How the dissemination of information has become so incredibly pervasive that we, as a culture, don’t seem to recognize that there are actually people who KNOW stuff about certain stuff.

But I also think we’ve reached the tipping-point with this and started to come back the other way. With the interaction that takes place daily on social-media, we are exposed to a wider-range of views than ever before. And while we may argue and bicker and ultimately act like 3-year olds some times in these venues, I think this exchange can often be enlightening. When you realize that there are a lot of people who think differently than you about something, but really know what they are talking about, you have a tendency to broaden your perspective. Even if it’s only a little bit, you begin to realize that there are people who’s experience, studies, and expertise has led them to a conclusion that might be right….even if it is different from your own. This is something encouraging, in my experience, and might lead us to great things. The recognition of the fact that there are, actually, people who know what they are talking about on a specific subject. And further, that those people’s opinions should carry more weight than the general run of people, at least in that specific area. My friend the dentist is going to know more about teeth than my friend the accountant. That means I should listen to my dentist about flossing and the merits of using ACT as a post-brush rinse, but that also means that I going to the other guy come tax time.

The more we recognize that some people are really good/knowledgeable in regards to certain things, the more we can relax and not try to find conspiracy theories in everything they say. Not that a certain amount of healthy skepticism isn’t always called for, but you get my drift. Not everyone is out for an agenda. Sometimes the source of a statement should be given credence because that person has demonstrated through time, study and practice that they are, in fact, an expert. A specialist.

Relating this to my own experience as a very proud “generalist” was tough, but I think I’ve made a bit of an in-road into why being good at a lot of things is OK as well. Being a “generalist” IS a specialty. There are plenty of Major League ball-players who managed to make a very nice career out of being good, not great, at a bunch of things. Plenty of people in business as well. I would wager that nearly all successful organizations have at least one very gifted generalist in their midst. The type of person who is expert at picking up slack where it is needed. The guy or gal that can deliver on a number of fronts in a very good, if not great, manner. Everyone could use one of them, but not everyone IS one of them. It’s a particular skill-set, a particular way of moving through the world that allows them to excel at that.

Generalists are very valuable, but in the context of a team. (in my opinion) They function best when they can operate in an extraordinary support role that allows for the largest amount of good to be accomplished. By doing the assorted little things well, they allow the specialists to do the big things really well and everybody on the team wins. You don’t allow the generalist to be the expert, and vice-verse. They would simply be working on their weaknesses and making the whole organization weaker as a result.

I am wondering if we aren’t doing this in too many of our companies/organizations/communities. Are we asking everyone in the organization to do too many scattered things? Are we demanding too often that employees no longer focus on one job and expect them to multi-task at our own peril? I know this isn’t the same world that existed even 10 years ago, and that we are expected to do more with less, but I am wondering if this isn’t a little dangerous for our development as a culture. We can all do a better job at being open to other points of view, but we don’t need to always be thinking about other points of view when we are performing the task at which we are a specialist. And we most certainly could do a better job of seeking out those who with the knowledge to help us succeed in the areas that we are weakest. As an example, if you aren’t particularly good with numbers but are a whiz with a monkey-wrench and a soldering torch, than go be a really good plumber and hire a really good accountant. You’ll both win that way.

As the recession continues to plague most of us, I wonder if CEOs/Managers/Political Leaders and the like are, perhaps, taking the wrong approach to some of what’s going on. Instead of slashing payroll to obtain bigger profits and demand that workers learn how to do everything, perhaps hire more people in more specialized roles who can maximize that particular aspect of your business, thereby growing your profits through success as opposed to attrition. Obviously this is not applicable in every case, as some businesses simply don’t have the choice and they need to survive however they can even if that means showing people the door, but I would wager that it’s true in a larger percentage of organizations than we really talk about. Instead of saying “Wow! Profits are down a little this quarter. We need to get busy cutting costs to bring those back up. Guess we need to let people go.”, might it be a more productive, pro-active and positive approach to say “Wow! Profits are down a little this quarter. We need to get busy and add one or two more knowledgeable people in potential areas of growth and really go after this thing. Might take a quarter or two to turn around, but when we do, we’ll own the market!” (where applicable of course, I’m speaking of companies that are still making a profit, not those struggling to keep the lights on) (by the way, the pro-active approach is precisely what Google did when it acquired YouTube.)

Keep in mind that I’m just taking an outsiders view on this. From a societal perspective, if you will. I don’t pretend to be an expert in top-level business management, nor a CEO of a business, nor a job provider (though I’m working on that last one), but I wonder about the message that we are sending when we demand that more of us work with less at a broader range of tasks than we really can perform well. That maybe stretching the workforce is hurting us. That maybe engaging specialists (and making damn sure that they really are specialists, who can perform at the highest levels of their assigned task) should be where we head back too. Even if that person’s specialty is being an extraordinary generalist.

The previous opinions are merely my own.  And should absolutely not be taken to reflect the thoughts or opinions of any of my employers, loved-ones, friends, pets, house-plants, or other living creatures I may have come in contact with.

Let me know what you think at tnester66@gmail.com

The last words to my sons

I spent about an hour wondering what makes people happy, and then I realized that

people are individuals and there is no one thing that would make people universally happy.

We all have things that individually geek us out that other people would call stupid.

So I scraped that and started thinking about what I would tell my two boys, Jack and Maxwell, when they are old enough to care about what their father thinks.

This is what I came up with….may be stupid, but it works for me.

1. Learn. I know that sounds pretty simplistic, but this is what I mean by it.Every instance in life allows an opportunity to pick up a useful nugget of knowledge that will serve you well later in life. Even if the source is someone or something you hate, there is always a lesson. You have to look for it and you seldom appreciate it at the time, but you’ve got to make an effort to learn. Learn from those around you about what to do to be successful and what NOT to do to be successful.
2. Show up. Someone once told me that 90% of life is just showing up and being counted. There are many examples of people who moved forward in life with no competition just because they were motivated to get out of bed and get busy when every one else was sleeping. So other people have it easier, so other people have more money, connections, better looks, more natural intelligence, etc. etc. etc….so what! Life does not reward you for pointing out that others have more than you. Sometimes you’ve got to rage against the world and kick at the darkness til it bleeds daylight. There are very few things in life worth having that don’t require your best effort. That usually starts by being there in the first place.
3. Scars are usually something you can be proud of. When you get kicked, when you get fired, when you get trampled on, when you fail…life usually sets you up for something even greater. This doesn’t mean that everyone realizes this (see topic 2) but when you can dust yourself off after being knocked down, look your attacker in the eye, and fight back..really wade in there and throw some hay-maker punches, that’s when the biggest gains in life are made.
4. Make connections…constantly. Forge connections with people you meet. Usually you have something in common with the person sitting next to you…find that common ground and focus on it. Forget the stupid little disagreements and really try to connect. It isn’t going to happen everytime, you may end up hating that person, but for the love of God try. You never know, that person maybe the person who makes all of your dreams come true….it’s been known to happen.
5. Younger people are cooler than you for a reason. We all tend to be resentful of older people when we are young and younger people when we are old. Here’s the thing: this should be completely the other way around. When you are young you SHOULD marvel at the experience and wisdom of those who’ve come before you. Respect that they had to overcome a lot as well, make sure that you spend some time talking to them and experiencing their world…it pays off. When you are old you should do your best to surrond yourself with smart people who are younger than you. First off, it keeps you young….at least a little bit. Secondly, it allows you to constantly view the world from a fresh perspective. The world changes daily..what was once new and magnificent to us is old-hat to others.  There is so much to be learned and shared and it usually is generations and age that seperate us.
6. Passionately advocate your values, but realize that you could very well be wrong. Do you prize money above all? Family? The Enviornment? Your Religion?What if you realized in a thunder-bolt that what you believed, what you thought was true, what grounded you in the world was nothing but fancy, beautiful, delicate window dressing? What would come next? Here’s the tricky part with this: you MAY be wrong. Realize that and try to find counter-arguement to what you believe…it’s the only way you will really know what you stand for.
7. Questin your beliefs often. Others will think differently than you. Maybe there is a reason for this. Maybe you’ve got it all wrong, maybe you’ve been captivated by your own intellect and pride. Try to get past this and see the world from others vantage point, you may not change your beliefs at the end of the day, but it usually leads to a better existence.
8. Work your ass off. You were set on this earth for a purpose. Believe that, because it is the truth. The first thing that you were set here to do is to spend every moment to it’s highest potential…to work and sweat and labor at EVERYTHING. Whether it is to complete a task or to take it easy and relax. Any moment in your life that you aren’t putting 100% towards what you are doing is a wasted moment. Celebrate the good times and work through the bad times, but constantly kick ass at it. Put your shoulder into it for God’s sake.
9. Try to extend a hand back to those who have it harder than you. Not just economically or societally. In life you will find that there are those who have it easier than you and those who have it harder than you. It is your personal responsibility to try to help those that have it harder than you. Spend some time with them, help them, push them to achieve their goals. It’s the second reason you are here. Try to do whatever little thing you can to make someone else’s life better. Give money, time, expertise..but Give…that’s the key thing…Give. Be of subject to one another, the Bible commands it and it is true. The more this is done, the more the world becomes a better place.
10. Be amazed by life, and be unashamed that you are amazed. So many people pass through life without recognizing moments where they had to stop and say “Damn! That’s really something there!”. I am by no means a technical dunce, and yet I log on to the internet or pick up my smartphone and am flabbergasted that I am alive when these incredible tools are available to someone like me. Science and the natural world gives us wonders to appreciate each and every day. A sunrise is still a miracle, so is Shaun White throwing down a double Mc Twisty. The fact that this exists at all around you in the time you are alive is amazing, so admit that and revel in it! Celebrate the good works of wonder that are around you.
11. Prize your freedom. Whether it’s the freedom to speak your mind, the freedom from hunger, the freedom to walk the earth as a living breathing intelligent lifeform that can interface with it, it is the one thing (more so than anything else) that seperates Humans from other lifeforms. We Have the freedom to determine our own destiny..and if we chose the wrong one, than we have the freedom to change it to a certain extent. It would be a different world if everyone embraced this, with likely more death, more wars and some heavy-duty problems, but in the end, it would be a happier more prosperous place.
12. Be Awesome! If you are uptight about every little thing that you or others are doing than you really need to smoke two joints in the morning chase it with 3 beers listen to the Beatles white album and reexamine everything that you’ve ever done. Not that we shouldn’t have some universal guidelines for behavior, but every once in a while you’ve got to kick back, have a beer with some friends and party like it’s 1999! Don’t let every little “sin” damn you for eternity. I’m pretty sure God would have tipped a few back with his/her buddies on the 7^th day…if he/her had the foresight to create some to hang out with. Be what you want and don’t pay attention to people who condemn you for it…in fact, join in and try to have a laugh with them.
13. Life is always more fun when you are laughing. Grab some humor, whatever it is …guy getting hit in the groin on you tube, whatever….and laugh your freakin’ ass off at least once a day…AT LEAST once a day. Insist on your friends doing the same. Make some jokes, have some hilariously good times, light a bag of dog poo on fire and put it outside of the house of the grumpy guy down the block for the love of God. We value the comedians in our society because they give us the biggest lift from our troubles and problems….a big fat belly laugh. There is nothing better in life. We all remember the time in our lives when we laughed so much that our face hurt for two days and we couldn’t catch our breath for a week. We don’t remember most of the times we would cry ourselves to sleep over some stupid little problem that was resolved the next day.

That’s it. I could only come up with 13……

Now go forth and practice and enjoy your life.

About the world

So this is the start of the blog.

Here are a few things you should know.

1. the earth is mostly covered in water

2. If it is snowing, then it’s probably cold outside.

3. I am awesome and all who read this are equally awesome

4. do not roll around in dead fish…it only attracts bears and the smell is hard to wash out of your clothes and hair.

5. some people in this world are taller than you…you need to learn to deal with it.

6. Marijuana will probably be legal in the USA during my lifetime.

7. If you say that you hate “Copacobana” by Barry Manilow, you are lying…the hook is just too catchy to resist.

8.I could stand to lose about 50 pounds.

9. So could you….fatty.

10. God actually rested on the 6th and 7th days…dude finished ahead of schedule, but didn’t want to appear lazy.