Specialization isn’t always a good thing. Photo from 1951 assembly line.
Are the days of Da Vinci dead? Is it possible to, at once, be a world-class painter, engineer, scientist, and more?
“No way. Those times are long gone. Nothing was discovered then. Now the best you can do is pick your field and master it.”
The devout specialist is fond of labeling the impetuous learner — Da Vinci and Ben Franklin being just two forgotten examples — “jack of all trades, master of none.” The chorus unites: In the modern world, it is he who specializes who survives and thrives. There is no place for Renaissance men or women. Starry-eyed amateurs.
Is it true? I don’t think so. Here are the top five reasons why being a “jack of all trades,” what I prefer to call a “generalist,” is making a comeback:
5) “Jack of all trades, master of none” is an artificial pairing.
It is entirely possible to be a jack of all trades, master of many. How? Specialists overestimate the time needed to “master” a skill and confuse “master” with “perfect.”
Generalists recognize that the 80/20 principle applies to skills: 20% of a language’s vocabulary will enable you to communicate and understand at least 80%, 20% of a dance like tango (lead and footwork) separates the novice from the pro, 20% of the moves in a sport account for 80% of the scoring, etc. Is this settling for mediocre?
Not at all. Generalists take the condensed study up to, but not beyond, the point of rapidly diminishing returns. There is perhaps a 5% comprehension difference between the focused generalist who studies Japanese systematically for 2 years vs. the specialist who studies Japanese for 10 with the lack of urgency typical of those who claim that something “takes a lifetime to learn.” Hogwash. Based on my experience and research, it is possible to become world-class in almost any skill within one year.
4) In a world of dogmatic specialists, it’s the generalist who ends up running the show.
Is the CEO a better accountant than the CFO or CPA? Was Steve Jobs a better programmer than top coders at Apple? No, but he had a broad range of skills and saw the unseen interconnectedness. As technology becomes a commodity with the democratization of information, it’s the big-picture generalists who will predict, innovate, and rise to power fastest. There is a reason military “generals” are called such.
3) Boredom is failure.
In a first-world economy where we have the physical necessities covered with even low-class income, Maslow’s hierarchy of needs drives us to need more for any measure of comparative “success.” Lack of intellectual stimulation, not superlative material wealth, is what drives us to depression and emotional bankruptcy. Generalizing and experimenting prevents this, while over-specialization guarantees it.
2) Diversity of intellectual playgrounds breeds confidence instead of fear of the unknown.
It also breeds empathy with the broadest range of human conditions and appreciation of the broadest range of human accomplishments. The alternative is the defensive xenophobia and smugness uniquely common to those whose identities are defined by their job title or single skill, which they pursue out of obligation and not enjoyment.
1) It’s more fun, in the most serious existential sense.
The jack of all trades maximizes his number of peak experiences in life and learns to enjoy the pursuit of excellence unrelated to material gain, all while finding the few things he is truly uniquely suited to dominate.
The specialist who imprisons himself in self-inflicted one-dimensionality — pursuing and impossible perfection — spends decades stagnant or making imperceptible incremental improvements while the curious generalist consistently measures improvement in quantum leaps. It is only the latter who enjoys the process of pursuing excellence.
Don’t put on experiential blinders in the name of specializing. It’s both unnecessary and crippling. Those who label you a “jack of all trades, master of none” are seldom satisfied with themselves.
Why take their advice?
Here is a description of the incredible Alfred Lee Loomis, a generalist of the highest order who changed the course of World War II with his private science experiments, here taken from the incredible portrait of his life, Tuxedo Park:
Loomis did not conform to the conventional measure of a great scientist. He was too complex to categorize — financier, philanthropist, society figure, physicist, inventor, amateur, dilettante — a contradiction in terms.
Be too complex to categorize.
Look far and wide. There are worlds to conquer.
Comment Rules: Remember what Fonzie was like? Cool. That's how we're gonna be — cool. Critical is fine, but if you're rude, we'll delete your stuff. Please do not put your URL in the comment text and please use your PERSONAL name or initials and not your business name, as the latter comes off like spam. Have fun and thanks for adding to the conversation! (Thanks to Brian Oberkirch for the inspiration.)
Junus, Hey how are? I would definitely suggest balance. Academics are always good but I can tell you from personal experience that you want to have fun while you are in HS. Don't miss out on doing all the fun things there are to do. I for example started martial arts in hs and am glad I did, otherwise if you wait till you are older it may be more difficult for you to start new hobbies/sports. I hope this helps. I noticed your comment and felt compelled to throw in my thoughts. Cheers Jose Castro-Frenzel
Interesting. Gave me a new look into the wisdom behind Catholic medieval and rennaisance philosophy and culture, of being universal…
This is so true. I always believe practical experience is far more than theory, sitting in a lecture theatre etc. Its also very handy when your stuck in situations to be able to wing it and work it out. Most people lack these skills and are too scared to have a shot at something. How else are you going to learn except by trying anyway! Thanks Tim. keep up the good work.
Amazing article! Very thought provoking-and I am specifically thinking how this is applied to character development as well. Dynamic, engaging, and fun people pursue a multitude of interests and curiosities, often employing extensive and articulate vocabularies, and attend to both themselves and their social networks in genuine and authentic ways. They are the beautiful, smart, funny people we all want to get to know and when friendship is established we enjoy "being" with. And the wonderful part is none of this is developed by specialization. Afterall the beautiful woman who flawlessly paints her face and gracefully glides through the room in a beaded gown but has nothing to say becomes a hollow ornament. The geek that can speak fluent German AND Klingon effortlessly with his friends but finds himself utterly tongue-tied around ALL females of the species is really cuttin down his chances of gettin laid. These are cliche and extreme examples of course but even the more subtle forms of cultural inhibition are dangerous and can be just as miserable. Such as the struggling art student that takes herself and her emotions way too seriously to let go and get some groove on at the local dance club. Or the father that has expertly planned for his family to arrive at the same cabin in the same woods with the same great fishing down to the minute. These are not the people we want to hang out with much. What we would like to to engage with the folks that have something new to say. Wear something unique and intriguing and colorful. Or look like they are enjoying all sorts of hilarious inside jokes. What are these people thinking? Feeling? Doing? Where are they going? How did they get there? How do they look so good? Generalization. The All you can eat buffet of Life. On a positive end-being dynamic, curious, cultured, and multifaceted is very attractive and affords you the opportunity to "play" with others. Banter. Explore. Surprise. Inspire. And most treasured experience of all is the exchange of insight and experience and inspired creativity-dealing in the multiplication of value rather than merely addition. Afterall-any animal added to another animal can make an additional animal. But what animal can throw a really great party? I didn't read all the commenting posts to this-I had to generalize-even though I'm sure I missed some awesome one. But the spirit of each one of them is largely the same grand feeling. Here's a quote I was reminded of, from Robert A. Heinlin's Time Enough for Love: "A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects."
Hello Tim, My name is Braden Loader. I'm currently a commerce student at the University of Manitoba, and to be frank, I'm tired of being 21 and not sailing my own boat off the coast of Costa Rica! I have a prospective business idea in the form of a self-guided adventure travel company, yet feel my business plan and concept are loose and undeveloped. I believe some serious strategic aid is to be sought if I'm not to be one of the several thousand internet sites that bite the dirt immediately. Realizing this may be an atypical request, I can only hope you'd humour me, as a newcomer such as myself could learn a lot from your business savvy. Where and when may we meet? As urgency is a matter of opinion, I'll leave it up to you! Regards (I just can't do the "cheers" thing), Braden Loader P.S. Apologies to those with intellectually stimulating comments, all I can do is try!
I love the Heinlein quote, it sums life up for me! As someone who's been called a Renaissance Man more than once, I feel like I've just found a second home! I've only just started the book and I'm loving it. As a kid, I thought I'd like to be James Bond, able to draw on whatever skill is required to handle any situation. I wanted to be McGyver, to solve problems logically and instead of shooting them or blowing them up. Leonardo Da Vinci became my idol. Learn the art of science and the science of art. I've been reading everything I can get my hands on since the age of four in pretty much every field imaginable. Martial arts, basic military training (I'm Irish so no danger of going to war!), playing the guitar, singing, working as a potter, a stint in McDonalds, an IT Diploma and 9 years and counting living in Paris, France married to the love of my life. Yet something's missing. And I'm still trying to find it. How do you tie it all together? How can you use that generalist non-specialist mindset to get ahead? Too complex to categorise…….I love that. And I'd rather be familiar to competent in a dozen fields than a world leader in one single area with little or no knowledge in any other.
Specialization does make sense for branding. When your aim is to establish a unique position in the minds of your audience, being "the ONLY _____ that _____" (read 'ZAG' by by Marty Neumeier) gives you a distinct competitive advantage. "Being the best in the world is seriously underrated" (Seth Godin), because your message cuts through clutter and gets noticed quickly. But there two primary functions of business: innovation and marketing. Being *perceived* as a specialist makes sense for marketing. Being a generalist is crucial for innovation. Specialists who only know how to market fail to innovate.
One other thing to note. I can't recall the exact references (though I am sure there are many beyond a couple), but there has been more than a few inventions and cunning edge discoveries discovered simply because of knowledge in another field. The one I am thinking of is a discovery made in a field of science due to the founder drawing something from the knowledge of violin playing. Great post! It is very inspiring.
I checked out Alfred Loomis on Wikipedia. According that source, he was the original inspiration for Bruce Wayne and Batman! Do you think that someone will soon base a comic book character on your lifestyle and persona? What's your own personal opinion on wearing your underwear outside of your pants? Seriously though, your achievements are amazing, inspiring and very possible for those willing to adopt them. I've done intensive training and gotten excellent results in such a short time that you get the inevitable, "You're so lucky" or "You're so gifted" comments. All nonsense of course, it's just dedication, a few street smarts and effective leverage of time and resources that does it. I have to say that you do all of this with a great amount of style. Hats off to you!
Interesting to find this article. as I've been thinking a lot about whether or not I'm over extending myself by trying to learn and accomplish too much. The point about knowing 20% of a language and being able to communicate with 80% of the people is really true.. not just figuratively speaking of language. I follow all sports just enough to have an intelligent conversation about them, same with politics, stocks, and music. I'm not a fanatic of any of these… and wouldn't miss them if you took them away.. but by taking a half hour every day to read up on these 4 topics, I can talk to just about anyone.
I think generalist-specialist may be a false dichotomy anyway. My suspicion is that most talented and highly successful people are or end up being particularly capable at accomplishing some particular thing or cluster of things. The trick is that "things and clusters of things" as they exist in the real world are necessarily interdisciplinary because disciplines are arbitrary constructs. The most valuable person in most situations is the person who has the abilities and sensitivities of a specialist in the randomly combined handful of areas that are pertinent to that situation. That person is always going to look like a generalist – at least in that narrow job history.
Hey Tim Great post I'm writing a book on this subject, advice for people juggling many talents and passions. Can I get an interview with you? Or cite part of this post? Thanks! enjoying following you on Twitter Lisa P.S. I have an apartment in Paris you could use
@Lisa, No problem if you want to cite a few quotations from this post, as long as you attribute it to me and provide the blog URL (www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog). I'm taking some time off of interviews, I'm afraid. Best of luck and perhaps we'll bump into each other in Paris 🙂 Pura vida, Tim
Thanks for posting this, Tim. I couldn't agree more. I happen to have en endless well of curiosity, it seems, and I've spent most of my life trying out the many different things I want to know how to do. For years, I was mediocre at most of them. I'm still mediocre at some. And others, I'm just getting started. At the same time, a teenage passion for cars now has me able to lube points, change water pumps, and do all sorts of things under the hood I wouldn't have been able to do otherwise. The same for computers. I was a geek then, but now I get to be the hero who can fix most people's tech problems. I wrote for fun. Now I do it for a living (and a good one). I paint, first not so well but now not so badly. I draw (always have) and had a published weekly cartoon strip for a couple of years. I cook, sometimes pretty well and sometimes badly. I play the guitar. I juggle. I'm learning right now about photography. I've learned how to travel and now live overseas (Paris) a good part of the year. My French is coming along. Next, my wife and I plan to tackle Spanish. I say this not to brag (well, maybe a little… because I'm proud of how these skills piled up) but because I never would have imagined, when I had few or none of these skills under my belt, that I'd get this far. Nor did I realize how much each newly mastered and divergent skill would give me both the energy and the zeal to tackle the next thing on the list. For instance, I'm learning Wordpress. For years, I couldn't get anyone to create a site for me that was quite right. Mostly because I didn't know the possibilities myself, and couldn't direct them. Finally I just decided, I have to learn to do this… and it's coming together. Not perfect. But a year from now, I'm guessing I'll be pretty good at it. Anyway… great post. You've got a quick wit and you're clearly a clever thinker. Good stuff. P.S. And no, at this point I haven't read your book yet. But what I've seen on this site convinces me. I'm going to go check it out right now.
I learned the value of being a Jack; when up against an economist I would pull upon my IT background and knowledge of systems (something the economist may not be as familiar), but when up against an IT expert I would use my economics background or business (which they may not be as familiar with)…in other words, you can exploit the expert's limitations.
This post describes me to a tee! At the tender age of 25, I'm already an author, journalist, business owner, and candidate for state-level office. I have already been mocked by many people for being a "jack of all trades" and for "doing everything and nothing" with my life. But the funny thing is, is that I know many of these people aren't happy with their lives and one-track careers. On the contrary, I'm very content with my life and work. Thanks for this post Tim!
Being able to delegate tasks to people smarter than yourself is an important skill for the generalist. I personally think creating a list of 3-5 areas you would like to become knowledgeable in and then continually learning in those areas will improve your ability and make you become a 'specialist' in each field but a 'generalist' overall. This is even more important as an employee who does not have their own business running part-time. Being able to move from one occupation to another and having transferable skills is critical to surviving in the Information Age.
this may already of been said but how does one know what 20% of the information they will need (example when learning guitar there are dozens of cords but for the sake of idea lets say there are 10 which 2 are most used? do you really need to know that augmented F sharp cord? but what of the g cord?) so how does one go about finding the 20%?
I would define a generalist not as a person who knows "a little of this; a little of that" but as a person who has achieved about "mid-level" specialist abilities in more than one area and who has derived insights from the connections others (including specialists) don't see in order to solve new and complex problems and to innovate.
questions: What if everyone was a generalist? If everyone was a generalist, we would still have people who mastered some occupations better than others. How would one generalist give up his skills to another?
I bought the book two days ago. I've been reading this blog most of the day. this post especially rings with me. I've always wondered why we never strive to be like the great polymaths like Leonardo, Michelangelo, etc. Why the obsession with specialising. As such I've thrown myself into learning more and more. Some of my personal goals include ju jutsu & iai jutsu, poetry, philosophy, break dancing, yoga, Spanish and Japanese. Since expanding my horizons like this the world and my life has become 1000 times more fulfilling. I'm re-discovering lost hobbies and interests. I love it. I love the fact I've found someone who so successfully displays this too. One hell of an inspiration.
Reason Number 6: Cross Procedure. If you have a discovery in your main field of expertise, other fields can be improved with the same type of thinking or similar concepts. Many developments in a wide range of fields can achieved by using "cross procedure." Here is an example. Computers! They have been integrated into every facet of our lives however they certainly did not start out that way.
As Robert A. Heinlein wrote, "A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects." I've always believed this, though my personal reasoning is most in line with the boredom argument. As soon as I understand something with any depth, I'm ready to move on. It's not the destination of knowledge but the journey of learning that I enjoy. Seth Godin has tried to make me question that, but it's one of the few places he is short-sighted. As he writes, [paraphrased, badly] if you are looking to hire somebody, you hire the absolute best your money can afford. My retort: who then does that hiring?
Just a quick thought. I recently switched to Google Chrome as my web browser and all of your blog postings come out with a black background and gray text, barely readable. I don't know much about web design to offer specific suggestions, but you may want to look into it. Thanks.
Tim, After reading your post I have to admit, i did recognize myself deeply, many thanks. But lately, i do not know, i have read your book with shiploads of interest and inspiration, i found it hard to outsource duties to third parties. Maybe due lack of trust to others & feeling too important to my own duties. I feel a bit awkard to my own lifestyle. My activities are with creative skills; I am a graphic designer, powerpointpimper, making animations, helping people out with visualizing their dreams and goals in life, i create paintings, storyboards, sell & design T-shirts & rebuilt furniture, organize events for people to share their passions, goals in life & inspirations along a bonfire, i do vj-ing at dance-parties i.e. all very nice to meet nice people and do my thing along the way. I go on holiday three times a year and learn a lot and see interesting people and their cultures. I follow courses in kitesurfing, The 'generalist'-thing is making me a bit chaotic and i have noticed in the years that friends of the second circle are changing rapidly, it is all dynamic. But sometimes it really is making me tired. Questions as; should i move on like this, why is there not more money coming into the pocket from all the things i undertake? I eventually would like to buy a house, at least a place for myself. ( i am living for 4 years in properties of friends or people i met along the way). My request for your advise is; how can i outsource some of the duties within my 'jack-of-all'-trades so i 'work' less and not feeling tired of 'having a loads to do'-voice in my head & how can i make more of a living out of it (maybe more business-like, a side i have to develope probably) by doing so? And beyond that, i have the feeling of having a lifestyle to make some jealous with but why is there not the consiousness within me that says it is all ok like it is? My greetings from Holland Armand
I find that most personalities who do well in their respective niche actually have something to bring to the table from outside of the subject. They are not experts in one field. They are experts in many areas and choose one area to focus on. It's proven that great ideas are the combination of several preexisting ideas. Take Tim for example, who's knowledge of how many different aspects of life work makes his lifestyle approach work. This is far more interesting and effective that the standard self-help folk who churn out the same material again and again.
Further, the jack-of-all-trades mind is best served in an era where we are spending time online and a myriad of subjects is a click away. The growth in the longtail of divisions of a particular subject proves that breadth is important.
Excellent post. Very timely in this economy.
As an avid serial specialist, thanks for the article! Just one thing-any suggestions for one of the 2 day challenges? I went to Whole Foods market and not a single "attractive" male in sight! I am all for asking for numbers (it will be a first; I am the one asked), but what next?
I am little confused – as I am always being told that is it better to focus on one strength or idea first, rather than have 10 ideas all up in the air ( so to speak ). ie don’t start a new chapter before you’ve finished the last one. But reading your other posts, it seems I am not alone. As self employed graphic designer, I often feel weighted down by the multitude of tasks and responsibilities. Juggling many hats, sales, admin and the design. However about six months ago I went to on a workshop run by Wealth Dynamics speaker Roger Hamilton. In his workshop he talked about finding your core dynamic your strength. Any elements of your business that you find difficult or frustrating – means you are not working in your flow. And those are the part you should outsource. I have to say it was an enlightening moment for me. By actually letting go of wanting to be in control and master everything, my business has started to improved. Here is Roger explaining his philosophy, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhhADnD3pl8
Completely agree. Being an expert in a narrow field can not only be boring but also dangerous. It leads to your back-pain specialist not realizing that there may be something wrong with your stomach. To interdisciplinary academics being shunned from circles of so-called experts -when they're often the visionaries that can see the connections that others miss.
I can't imagine a comment on a post this old is likely to get any useful responses, but it's worth a shot. What do you (anyone) think is the best way to master drawing quickly? Alternatively, and perhaps more usefully, is there a general way to break down any given skill so you can master 80% of it quickly? (I feel almost certain that Tim has posted on the latter topic before, but I couldn't find it.)
Matt, Learning is my passion, and learning what matters most so that I may enjoy the knowledge and teach it effectively quickly is how I spend most of my time. Is there something specific you wish to learn or simply to synthesize the principles of rapid mastery? Best Wishes, Sitara
Hi Tim I read your book in about two days – I always thought there was something wrong with me for wanting to master lots of different things. I was born to be a Polymath and I am a Creator according to Roger Hamilton's Wealth Profile Tests. Thanks for this Tim, this has really clarified my path in life and I will pursue different paths with a new zeal. As for becoming 'World Class' in different fields – I would argue that you only need to better than 80% of those in your field to do that and seeing as so many people give up so easily – I believe that if your consistent then that would be pretty simple. I mean look at those people who take the EAS and Body for Life challenges getting incredible model-like bodies in just 3-4 months. Anyone could do it – It's not 'can you?' – It's 'will you?'
This post saved my life.
There seems to be a false dichotomy in many responders answers. There is a third option between the "specialist" and the "generalist". It would have to be a "multi-specialist:". If you work hard and systematically for 30 minutes a day on almost anything you will improve. If you can work regularly at this for 5 – 10 years you will be considered truly gifted. Thus – one could chose 5 totally disparate hobies (a musical instrument, a series of foreign languages, a martial art, a unique artistic hobby, distance running…) and by spending 30 minutes a day on each of them you will become "world class" in probably about 5 years AND you can continue to super-specialize in a career if you so choose. Thus – The MD/pHD who is also a university level pianist, speaks 5 languages and holds black belts in 2 different martial arts is a very achievable goal if a consistent plan of attack is followed
hallo tim! guter blog! bin über dein buch auf die seite gekommen! auch bei uns in deutschland ist das thema sehr aktuell! hier ist meine rezession von deinem buch: http://www.outdoor-camping-blog.de/allgemein/die-4-stunden-woche-timothy-tim-ferris.html
Better to be a jack of all trades than to be a one trick pony.
Finally some support for being a jack of all trades! I do believe however, that we who are the jacks of all trades, owe our success to the specialists who make it possible for us to acquire a particular specialty so quickly by learning from their work, mistakes and products. I'm just glad they are there to allow me the freedom of being a master of none but oft better than a master of one.
This sounds good on paper, but when you have kids and a spouse to support, you had better get a specialty if you want food, clothes, and shelter. I can tell that many of you here do not take responsibility seriously. I at one time was a dreamer. But when reality set in, I realized that I was unfocused and was making excuses. It is a good thing to generalize if you have no responsibility. But for most of us, being very good at one job is all that we have to depend on. Being average or knowing a little about a lot is a good career path for someone who enjoys making minimum wage. I know plenty of know-it-alls who can barely keep the lights on.
Yadgyu – that depends on the field. In some fields, business men with eclectic backgrounds oversee PhDs who make much, much less than they do.
This is true Barbara. Most CEOs are not the smartest people at the company. But on the other hand, most people will never become CEOs. It is better to seek specialization. There is true job security, but being a specialist can help. I think most people want to be the best at a skill. It is obvious because kids want to be great like their idols. Many kids want to be the best athlete or entertainer. That never changes. What does change is that most people lose focus and give up on greatness. They settle for less and pretend as if being great at one thing is bad. But most successful people are great at one thing. They become the people that we idolize because they are great at that one thing!!! It is sad to see someone who is great at one thing try something else and look like a fool. Greatness can only be achieved with unrelenting focus and dedication. There will always be some fly-by-night acts who get a short burst of fame. But the greats stand the test of time. Michael Jackson was no Jack of all trades. He was remembered for being a great entertainer. No one cares if he could milk a cow or do an oil change or do some other random skill. Peole just wanted him to sing and dance. Greatness = Specialization
Specialization is really only the way to go. Those who are great in life are usually great at one thing. It takes focus, dedication, patience, and perseverance to be great in life. Most people are not great at life because they lack these qualities. We don't remember Michael Jackson for a myriad of skills. We remember him for being a great entertainer. I would strongly encourage 99.99999% of you to focus at one skill and try to become great. Otherwise you will be known as the dude who a little about everything, but who really isn't that good at anything. Specialization = Greatness
Yadgyu – a couple of things: First, you say not everyone can become a CEO, and then you use Michael Jackson as your counterexample. Many more people become CEOs than become anything comparable to Michael Jackson. To stick with that example, Michael makes the case for those of us promoting generalism! You can say he was a "specialist" "entertainer"; I think it's more accurate to see him as an uber-generalist: singer, writer/composer, dancer, recording artist, and video creator/producer are all different specialities. (MJ's back-up dancers are specialists; he was a generalist.) He was also a philanthropist and, according to news reports, aspired to make feature films. Even within the realm of music-making, his unique contribution was breaking the genre barriers between "white" rock 'n' roll (e.g., guitar riff elements and such) and "black" R&B and soul. So – your example argues against your point.
Michael Jackson was a generalist – singer, dancer, songwriter, video producer, philathropist, aspiring feature film maker – all different specialities. He achieved his breakthrough by combining elements of rock 'n' roll with elements of R&B and soul – again, no specialist. And as few people will ever be CEOs, many, many, many fewer will be world-famous entertainers in the category of Michael Jackson!
The inherent meaning of expert means you are actually a master of all of the minute parts of that which become the "thing" you are an expert at… thereby making you a generalist… Think – a banker is good at math, people skills, forcasting, complex spreadsheets, risk anaylsis, risk avoidance. A bartender is good at selling, mixing, tasting, serving. No one is a specialist. People who promote specialists are either your boss, or are too scared to take a shot at living. Boo crappy examples that don't prove a point. Hooray – having many talents and outlets.
Wow… I wrote in earlier in full agreement with the "jack of all trades" idea. But this latest run of posts, admittedly, has given me a gut response that's almost the opposite of what I said earlier. That is, for all the reasons to support generalism, it's a mistake to dismiss specialism entirely. To be a generalist, I believe, is not to someone who takes it easy and absorbs whatever experiences and opportunities that drift by. Rather, it's to be someone open to voracious curiosity. Someone willing to try a lot and do a lot, even if it's out of their comfort zone or not clearly applicable to whatever else it is that they happen to be doing. Was Michael Jackson a generalist? Is a banker or a bartender? I think those remain open for debate, despite all the evidence for both sides of the argument provided above. What remains undeniable, though, is that those who succeed either work hard, work smart, or some of both. Tim, it seems to me, is advocating working smart. But not in a way that cheats any important endeavor of energy (whether your own or someone you've put to work on making that happen). What he's not advocating is being unserious about accomplishment. Likewise, specialists often succeed at one thing because they're passionate enough to specialize and because they dig in deep and learn to do that thing. There are infinite stories of great surgeons who can also play the piano, hike a mountain, or spot a good wine. There are writers who could paint, speak multiple languages, and throw a good punch. And the list goes on. Are they generalists? Yes, in the sense that their passion for living is not restrained only to that one thing they're known for best. But you'd best believe that the one thing they did extremely well, they did often and above all those other things. Maybe that all runs against the theories of the four-hour-work week. But I don't think so… for reasons already mentioned above.
To some degree the argument is semantic. So, I'll offer my definitions! A good generalist is a multi-specialist who, because of the multiple perspectives, is able to "break rules" intelligently. The person who drifts from thing to thing with no intellectual or social compass is not a generalist. The "true" specialist is limited by his/her rules and stumped when a different approach is the only thing that will work. The generalist is characterized by lack of such limits. You want someone to come into your company and conduct a training, you get a specialist. You want someone to tell you whether it's really training you need or whether it's really a new recruitment program or to fire the CEO because his affairs with underlings are causing havoc, better get a generalist; you'll pay the specialist trainer tens or hundreds of thousands, and everyone will still be blind to the problem. You do not want to be a specialist when your line of work is, say, selling newspaper advertising. Much, much better to be a newspaper ad specialist who ALSO knows something about, say, social networking and can make the shift when craigslist comes along. Back to the Michael Jackson example. As I conceptualize it, there are great entertainers who fall into both categories. Their trajectory tends to be different. I'll take the low-hanging fruit first, since the two are often compared. Elvis – specialist: though he was certainly a genre crosser and a genre creator (even if he did so passively), he was a singer/performer who did some arrangement and writing of songs for himself to sing. Actor? The consensus is no. His philanthropy seems to have been merely personal gifting. He wasn't a dancer. And so on. MJ – multi-specialist really – no specialist songwriter OR singer OR dancer could accomplish those videos that made him famous. I'll make a comparison with another entertainer. Jerry Garcia was a specialist. Designed guitars for himself to play, yet look at the Grateful Dead movie he did some directing for. You can see, it's a bit "off" as a film because he could not really direct. Neither Elvis nor Jerry Garica – who both made big accomplishments in their specialities – could really get through in the generalist realm. (And I say that as a bigger fan of those two than of MJ.)
In addition to semantics, there's another meta issue to be tackled. Is being a generalist or a specialist really a choice? I think the whole "jack of all trades" epithet arose because there are people who simply aren't happy or successful as generalists, whose minds don't work that way! There are others who cannot function as generalists; if they don't choose to focus, they do end up simply wandering rather than pioneering.
""Jack of all trades, master of none, though ofttimes better than master of one." Hey Tim, By not focusing on only one thing, you constantly stimulate your creativity and increase the potential to come up with something great. When your passion spawns many things, you are likely to combine them into something great. Just like artists who were great at one medium brought in elements from other things they were passionate about (The Beatles), or businesses who fused 2 disparate elements to create something remarkable (Apple fusing art and devices). It's actually easier to learn the 20% (of the 20/80) of things you're passionate about and be able to combine them into something unique and great than focus exclusively on becoming the best at one thing (unlikely). Scott Adams of Dilbert on how you have 2 options in life: 1. Become the best at one specific thing. 2. Become very good (top 25%) at two or more things. "The second strategy is fairly easy. Everyone has at least a few areas in which they could be in the top 25% with some effort. In my case, I can draw better than most people, but I’m hardly an artist. And I’m not any funnier than the average standup comedian who never makes it big, but I’m funnier than most people. The magic is that few people can draw well and write jokes. It’s the combination of the two that makes what I do so rare. And when you add in my business background, suddenly I had a topic that few cartoonists could hope to understand without living it." By combining multiple things you're pretty great at–but not the best–you can create remarkable things that are uniquely you. Awesome list Tim, inspiring to hear this, especially in this day and age. So true how we should be more like Da Vinci than a NBA star, Oleg
Sorry for the 2nd comment, forgot to add the Scott Adams link: http://dilbertblog.typepad.com/the_dilbert_blog/2007/07/career-advice.html
That was absolutely beautiful and brilliant to me, and much needed to be shared with the world. Thank you so much Tim, that really touched my heart. I've always felt similar, and my personal vision is strongly involved with creativity and the Generalist concept. Like Lisa, I'd also love to cite a line or two from this post in a book I'm writing, and if you prefer me not to, I totally respect that. Maximize peak experiences 🙂 Awesome.
Tim, You always inspire me. I was trying to figure out what I was passionate about in life…this post led me to finally figure it out. This is the result: www.brantchoate.com You and Gary Vaynerchuk have been the most helpful people for me in the last three years of my life. Thank You
Thanks Tim, In investment, Warren Buffett dislikes diversification because you are choosing to add second rate stocks to your portfolio instead of more first rate stocks. A skill can't be added to linearly, so developing another skill is time well spent – assuming it will be used. General Practitioners (Family Doctors in the USA?) are being valued more now than in the past, as the specialist forgets the broad basics of medicine in the quest to delve further down into being a jack of only one.
Great article, even though it appears to be over two years old. But as a JOAT myself, and seeking work right now, I'm not finding any opportunities for the generalist, even as I agree with the points made here. It seems jobs out there fall into one of two categories: * Extreme specialization. Some specific job that the applicant has spent years training and studying for, and several years' experience doing. * Extreme dummies. Basic labor, for people who are neither specialists or generalists. They don't know anything about anything.
Thank you Tim – I have always thought (somewhat negatively) of myself as a Jack of all trades – this makes me feel much better.
@Don: I propose that while the jobs to be had out there are often for 'Extreme specialists' or 'Extreme dummies', it seems likely to me that the 'People Doing The HIring' are Jack-Of-All-Trade's, running their own business and creating their own careers. I'm one of them 😉
@Jason, I accept that, although, I'll theorize that JOAT isn't really what makes for your success. It seems to me that most successful business owners have a knack for working with people: finding good employees and business associates; inspiring the team to produce good work, and to do a lot of it; solving problems that come along; finding good deals from outside sources; "selling" yourself, your ideas, your products/services, etc.. I suppose it helps to be a JOAT to accomplish those things (don't want to be perceived as naive or a dummy about anything, or be taken advantage of due to your naivete…) but JOAT isn't what makes it "happen". It's those other "people skills" that are of greatest importance. A JOAT without that can't run a business, unless it's a one-man (or "mom and pop") operation. So how about this: Be a JOAT, but only if you think you can be a successful people-person leader, too. Otherwise, be a specialist.
According to Michael Gerber (E-Myth), one should be a Jack of at least 3 trades. (But the 3 really encompass many sub-skillsets, including being a "people-person"). Entrepreneur, Manager, and Technician. I'll buy that a JOAT will do better in this economy… specialization only works in really large companies that have created, (and can afford) positions with idle time. From my own experience: One could never be an "enterprise level systems integrator" without being a JOAT. One could never be an "enterprise level solutions architect" without being JOAT. I've seen specialist fail at this for years, because they can't see the entire picture… they only see what they specialized in. The ones who only specialize do the work but leave a "mess" behind them when they leave. Having a lot of width and depth on key items is what I have be successful. Leadership/"People-Skill" is definitely one to go deep on but certainly not the only skill needed, IMHO. I believe the same is true for any Entrepreneur. They have to see the entire picture, and be a good leader to boot… it is no wonder leaders are so few compared to the masses… it is pretty demanding stuff!
Mr. Ferris- Infinite thanks for such a well-written, fresh perspective. I have been a jack-of-all-trades my entire life and have followed numerous pursuits- softball, vocal jazz, choir, cross country, guitar, painting, writing, photography, piano..(you name it), and have received opposition, discouragement, and disapproval from the majority of the people that I know. How many reading this can relate to being called everything from a "quitter" to "indecisive"? Well, you're correct, Mr. Ferris, we are NEITHER. In fact we are the most qualified sort of people because we bring rich variety to everything that we do. I've always known that being a JOAT was the right thing for me, so I followed my heart and have reaped extroardinary benefits. I am considered by myself and others an excellent softball player, vocalist, and writer. Additionally I am a very good runner, guitarist, and volleyball player. I relay this to verify that IT IS POSSIBLE TO SPECIALIZE (I.E EXCEL) AT ONE OR MORE THINGS WHILE STILL BEING A JACK OF ALL TRADES. Ferris is correct in stating that the term "jack-of-all-trades, master of none" is indeed artificial pairing when looking realistically at the 80% 20% rule; it is my guess that fellow JOATs work very hard at a multitude of subjects, thus outperforming the lazy specialist. One thing that's great about JOATs is that we're fearless- and simply don't conform. I'd personally prefer to have personal satisfaction with what I do (whatever it is) than become someone else's robotic-performing-monkey just so that I'm deemed "sufficient". Haha. A million thanks to you, can't wait to read your book! Sincerely, Hannah
The modern music industry is a perfect example of how a specialist can sometimes be less valuable. You can have a PhD in music but you will never make as much of an impact as Ke$ha, a drunk blonde who's screams and moans are fixed with pitch correction software and auto tune. Most pop songs are made of almost the same chord progressions, so to make a hit would require probably a few hours of learning. So how does someone like Ke$ha make tons of money, influence fashion, have the most downloaded song in history, and be an all around bad ass? It definitely was not becoming a specialist in music. I seriously doubt she is a marketing expert. Not a dance expert. I believe behind all of the marketing(drunk slut party hoe) Ke$ha has probably learned how to blend in to many fields of the music industry.
Hey Spencer, cool comment man, and well-timed for me 🙂 Though I may not personally love encouraging others to subscribe to the views Ke$ha presents in her songs, I do agree that she seems to have learned to blend many of her personal gifts, personality traits, and resources to create societal 'success' for herself, and I love it. I find many celebrities and entertainers are excellent examples of people who've blended a significant number of interests into one successful 'career'. Which is awesome. Ke$ha is a very poignant example (because she is incredibly hot right now,) and my friend Adam and I banged out an acoustic cover of TikTok just yesterday ( gogo two guys singing Ke$ha 😀 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPNkCWLfmGM )
@Don: "So how about this: Be a JOAT, but only if you think you can be a successful people-person leader, too. Otherwise, be a specialist." Awesome 🙂
>> Specialists overestimate the time needed to “master” a skill <> Lack of intellectual stimulation, not superlative material wealth, is what drives us to depression and emotional bankruptcy. <> It’s more fun, in the most serious existential sense. << Exactly. Many people don't understand why we like to invest time in learning things that have no apparent and imminent benefit. And they define benefit only in material means 🙁 What happened to the motto "learning for the sake of learning"? And, is it not benefit enough to keep the brain cells working and alive? I would wish people could understand the joy when you walk through a group of tourists and can pick up words from different languages, even if only a few 🙂 I wrote too much … so long.
Oh, bummer .. something happened to my previous post. I think we are not supposed to use angle brackets. Sorry about that !! – Specialists overestimate the time needed to “master” a skill Exactly. For instance all the things we have to learn at school. I think we loose a lot of time with the wide-spread 12 year public school system. How many times do we have to learn the same grammar rules over and over? They don't change each year for God's sake. The same with history, geography, etc. There are only a few courses that need more time to understand thoroughly, but all the time we have during our school years are not used wisely. They try to teach skills and knowledge in the same way, which is utterly wrong. And what about all the the courses they should teach, but for some reason are abandoned from the curricula, such as logic, rhetoric, etc. How many times do we encounter people, grown-ups they believe themselves to be, who speak and 'reason', but make no sense at all. In the East they had an all-round education system in the past. We had theologists who mastered many of the Islamic studies alongside with mathematics, astronomy, medicine, architecture, … Unfortunately, these days are gone. – Lack of intellectual stimulation, not superlative material wealth, is what drives us to depression and emotional bankruptcy. Exactly. Dostoyevsky described this beautifully in one of his books .. I think it was The House of the Dead. It was about how meaningless work can crush the spirit of a man. I think many students and academics can relate to this. How many times during a PhD study are we asking ourselves, what purpose it all has and why we have to work 2-3 years on a very specialized problem to get an incremental improvement that will benefit only a handful of people if any. I wrote about this in my tiny post "bugs in writing". My dream is to see the days when there are going to be platforms where real people state their real problems and others work on solving them. – It’s more fun, in the most serious existential sense. Exactly. Many people don't understand why we like to invest time in learning things that have no apparent and imminent benefit. And they define benefit only in material means 🙁 What happened to the motto "learning for the sake of learning"? And, is it not benefit enough to keep the brain cells working and alive? I would wish people could understand the joy when you walk through a group of tourists and can pick up words from different languages, even if only a few 🙂 I wrote too much … so long.
I encourage my children to be jack and jackie of all trades and not just for financial reasons but the intellectual stimulation and always telling them, Never stop learning. It is fun and so rewarding. Learning is like going into a candy store if one enjoys candy, where does one start? Great tips!
Awesome post Tim. I love it! 🙂 Thanks, it's really motivated me to just go out there and try out new skills. Venture out of my specialization and experience something (I'm an entrepreneurship student) I'm thinking of learning how to cut hair. (hahaha, I'm sounding like a Zohan right now) and maybe learn how to do crafting. There's many things I'm eager on learning how to do. Keep it up Tim! 😉
Dear Tim, In the middle of Four Day book right now and love it. Period. Very focus, very informative and motivational. My Blog post-specific Comment/Question: At first blush, this on-line article tends to be a bit at odds with the section in the book about focusing on current strengths vs. working to improve weaknesses and how the latter just makes you mediocre as it does not serve to leverage ones strongest skills. Would be curious to get your thoughts/comments on the balance between these two ideals/maxims/principles for my edification. Thank you, Darby A new blog-follower/book fan
The antidote for being a specialist is to be an entreproducer. This is the most profitable life model and the most exciting. First of all what is an entreproducer? An entreproducer is similar to a Hollywood producer mixed with a traditional entrepreneur. Hollywood producers are a perfect example of why one should strive to be a generalist. Yes, there are thousands of people who can write better scripts, can crunch more numbers on an Excel spreadsheet or animate Shrek's facial expressions but the producer is the king of the castle. A producer needs to understand both creative and commercial appeal. The producer needs to have the creativity to buy a great story with memorable characters and place the right actors in that story. Secondly, the producer has to be able to understand whether or not a movie will sell prior to raising money from investors.
The ideal person for the 21st century will be a creative type that can grow their own food, do electrical wiring, repair diesel engines, code HTML, speak multiple languages, and have excellent leadership skills. Oh, being able to ride a horse will help too!
Posting this comment excessively late, but… I enjoy being a "Jill of All Trades" because when the economy gets crazy like it is right now, I can use some of my other general skills to maintain my business and employment options. I have found that this way of "working" has created a situation where I am less likely to burn out and am always exercising my brain. And unbelievably, I mastered “specializations” and created a consulting business out of all my general knowledge of specialized trades. It CAN be done and be done well and profitably. I do appreciate the specialist, however, especially in the sciences. These people do AMAZING work and never get a book deal or end up on Oprah and yet they are researching and discovering things that make our lives better everyday. Major kudos and thanks to these dedicated professionals. On a sad note, many of my former friends never understood my need to have such varied interests. (They wanted a good, safe government job and then spent endless nights worrying about retirement and how much money they needed to be comfortable.) Nevertheless, in creating this way of life for myself, I hope I have found some kindred spirits out there! (Hopefully some of you posting on Tim's fabulous blog.) Tim – Keep the dialog going my friend. You are doing more than you could ever know for so many people out there who want a different way of life! Hope to see some of you on my travels!
"A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects. — Robert Heinlen" Then again … maybe we cannot choose. Maybe each of us just needs to find the path that works!
Early in life I was often asked, 'How many horses can you ride at one time'? My response always was, 'Very True…time to focus on one thing'. Although something inside me always had to come up with new ideas and learn new things. And later I realized those who rode only one horse had all their eggs in one basket and were typically broke. Hats off to being a 'General' and long live this post!
It's a relief to see a positive comment about being a generalist. I'm still a teenager, but I notice the the great advantages of being a generalist while doing a gig some time back (Behind scenes tech during School Play). During the gig my instructor had to leave out for about 6 hours before the play and handed all of her duties to her apprentice. Her apprentice was so overwhelmed she had given up. Though I was younger than the apprentice(4 – 6 younger I can't remember) I was able to completely direct and work for 5 hours until the job was done. Now I hadn't told the director about how I was multitasking between everything when her apprentice didn't, but I was okay with that. I wasn't perfect and couldn't see the detail in anything, but I could see the big picture of anything with ease. This was purely because of the great amount of exposure I had between the ages of 0-12. It's the same with my math and science subjects in school. I really only know the basics like (+,-,*,division,squt, exp, derivatives, integrals, inf, and limits) in math and things like (Reactions, Force, drivers, directors, amplifiers, Simplifier, containers, converters, timers and distributors). Which are simple enough for everyone to learn, but I'm always called smart because I can pick up on any concept that would use those principals faster than others who don't know much about them Even though I know I'm not that smart. I recently told my mother and father that I wanted to become a generalist, they both said it was crazy. Then if a teacher were to ask me what I wanted to become when get I older, I would say "A generalist" and they would look at me strange. I say it again it is a serious breather to see the pros of generalistic( I know it's not a word-yet).
Kevin, You aren't crazy, but you're wrong. Sorry folks to rain on the parade here, but you're wrong. I'll prove it: go to Monster.com, and search for "generalist" or "jack of all trades." Good luck. Kevin, your high school play isn't the world of work. The world of America 2010 is such that you must have education and experience in some field, to earn an income greater than about $15/hr. You could be a successful generalist in a third world country (or America 1920) but not here, not now. Nobody's going to hire you for that, nor can you open up a business doing it. Not that alone, anyway. That's not to say that having varied interests and skills isn't a good thing to have, enriches your life, keeps things interesting, makes you wiser, makes it possible for you to do some tasks yourself rather than hiring others, etc. But that's not how you'll earn a living. You'll earn a living by being really good at something in particular. That's what other people will pay you for, just like you pay other people for their specialized skills (right?). It's been mentioned in this thread that some managers and business owners are generalists, and that's true, but again, that's not why they're business owners and managers. They've reached that success because they're good at running businesses, which includes "people skills" (leadership, discipline, inspiration, etc) money smarts, developing innovative business strategies, and their own discipline to work a whole lot of long hours, at the same job, day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year. And a lot of them do indeed have education in business, accounting, management, and at least some education in whatever it is they're managing. Bottom line: make sure you're excellent at doing *something* that others are willing to pay you for. Being somewhat good at a lot of different things won't cut it, if you want to earn a decent living. People will pay you more, the better you are at providing some particular product or service. If you're a natural leader, then that's your specialty (and do what you can to enhance that, such as work experience and education).
I can't believe I missed this post for so long. A great article, with at least as great comments. This coming from a professional welder/bartender, sales(auto and guns), flagger, internet marketer, competitive shooter, exceedingly competent rock crawl driver as well as general ohv'er, and marine electrical specialist. And I'm reasonably sure I could survive in the wilderness of the northwestern United States for several days if I had to assuming I had a knife and a fire starter. I grew up with a father that was a machinist. He had a knack for being able to fix most anything that involved welding or machining, but he could also frame a house, build a deck, or anything else. Because of this, I learned to do lots of things early. As someone above mentioned, some of us just get too freakin bored to specialize. Thanks for this one Tim. P.S. If you ever want to learn to draw and fire a handgun and hit a target from a street holster in under a second. Let me know. I'd be glad to help.
Tim, Thank you for reminding me how to tie a full windsor knot in my tie! We'd learned in boot camp (Parris Island) but that was 20 years ago. So, I went on YouTube awhile back and there you were… the author of that cool book I'd just read "The Four Hour Work Week." Now THAT was a cool surprise. Also, I've used your recommendations for efficiency in my business ("If you need a response within 24 hours, please call Elisha, my assistant…" is one) and at first ticked off some folks. But, my friend, I don't care because they are nowhere near as productive as I am and I've become more productive thanks to you. Aside from the "Tim is great" tone of this post, as a former journalist as well, I wanted to let you know that I appreciate your stance on your copy – "credit the blog if you can" is laudable and I certainly will. Count me as an ardent reader and know that any time you want to skydive/swim/run/shoot/learn how to drive a tractor trailer/scuba dive/learn Brazilian Jiu Jitsu/ Look into the LEED green building system/ etc… I'd have a blast working with you. All the best, Chris
The ideal person for the 21st century will be a creative type that can grow their own food, do electrical wiring, repair diesel engines, code HTML, speak multiple languages, and have excellent leadership skills. Oh, being able to ride a horse will help too
apparently in the world we live in, mastering a certain craft is a one way ticket to success. but this notion proves to be true when you are a novice. an employee has to master something or at least be good at something before he gets noticed and be a candidate for promotion. when you rise up the ranks you need to broaden your spectrum by learning other trades to make your own better. =)
Maybe I shouldn't compare being a polymath to being gay, but in my mind, just as being gay is not a choice, being a polymath is equally not a choice. I mean, I've always known I was one, a polymath that is, since I started school. I just liked diverse subjects and had way more hobbies than the others. There were though and there still are times when I think I have encountered difficulties because of it and I still often think I should specialize in something. We have to admit, that this article is a FEEL GOOD article – that is all, something to reinforce and validate our choices. It is unfair to say that being a generalist is better than being a specialist or vice-versa. I just think if you yearn to be one you shouldn't settle for the other because you will be unhappy no matter how successful.
hah. i'm glad to hear that you think its hogwash that people think most things take a "lifetime to learn". Of course, learning will continue as long as the longer is willing to learn but I get your point. There are people who just think specializing in something is the way to go. The sad thing is that, they will forget everything else and ignore everything just so that they can focus on specializing in one area. But learning is such a multi-dimensional process and if we are ever to become educated men and women, then we must have a basic knowledge of all things important in life. Lol that's why I joined a liberal arts college. a lot of these people also tend to get very defensive when you question their knowledge about things outside of their specialty. I guess they live in fear.
I wasn't sure where to contact you at for asking you about some of the content in your new book, so i'll give this a shot. I typed in biology in your search box to maybe get an insight about all of the, well, biology involved in your book. I mean I want to know everything about all of the biological processes involved in any one of the topics you cover. I know this can't be explained in a blog post, but maybe you could direct me to a good book, and not just a everyday biology book would be better.
one of the best blog posts i've ever read.
I cannot believe I've only just discovered you Tim … where have you been !! 😉 The times I have been told to focus and specialise, I can't tell you … as if my ability to be pretty OK at a lot of different things (and crave to do more) is bad. Reading this reaffirms how thankful I am to be me. I do not have the remotest desire to be put in a box or categorised. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Loved this countercultural message! Made me feel OK again to not be so niched out that I'd be out of business when the 6 people who are into that specialty retire or die. Aren't all good leaders generalists?
I am completely in love with this post – so much so, I've bookmarked it for future stalking. I've always taught my daughters to reach as far as they can possibly go – then reach further still. People who teach and preach "specializing" in one area probably do so because their own reach is limited. Either that or they're a little lazy. It isn't healthy for the mind or spirit to box yourself in any way. Thanks for such an eloquent and wonderfully written reminder.
Thank you. I am a jack of all trades because I love to learn new things and get bored after I've mastered them. I love to do all things and all of them different. The first time I heard "jack of all trades, master of none" I took it as an insult, but your article has reminded me why I love it.
Actually i agree with all of you as i am a jack of all trades myself. What i see, understand and experience is jack of all trades will be the one who will be the survivor- out of the survival of the fittest theory. Jack of all trades will be master of all in the very best manner as our mindset and soul is open. We love everything, good or bad. We do not judge or prejudice.
I really think that with the way the business world is moving, people who are more adept at seeing the inherent "interconnected" of things will be very valuable. I'm sure they already are, but I think their importance will increase as time. I'm not sure of the relationship (exponential vs. linear), but I think there's no doubt that a relationship exists. With Love and Gratitude, Jeremiah
I tend to sympathize with what you said because i am like that myself, but I think there is a fundamental difference between being a jack of all trades and a true master. Yes, diversity of experiences and multiple better-than-average achievements are enjoyable, but there is something special about being at the top of the world in something — a feeling jacks of all trades are unlikely to ever experience. Of course, that said, most people are neither jacks of all trades nor masters of anything, so being a jack is still better than nothing 🙂
I feel home. Thank you people 🙂 A proud jack of all trades
Late to the bandwagon but anyhow, this article resonated with me. I guess you could call me a Jack of all trades (or a Jill, seeing as I'm a woman!). I am skilled at various things but not specialised in any one of them. For example, my hobbies include graphic design, web-design, writing, photography, etc. I am good at all, but not outstanding in any of them in particular. It can frustrate me at times because I see someone else's graphics/website and I think "wow, mine sucks in comparison!" and I feel rather inadequate. Funnily enough my University degree encompassed many different fields, including ecology, conservation, biodiversity, sustainability, project management, climate change, geology, geography, natural hazards, remote sensing and geographical information systems (GIS). So when I graduated I had skills and knowledge in all of these areas but was not particularly specialised in any one of them. This has had its advantages and disadvantages. An advantage has been employment. I am currently temping in the State Government (of South Australia, which is where I'm from) in a GIS position. I have noticed that Government departments like employees with multiple skills, especially when your skill includes GIS! It means they can move the person to different positions throughout the business with ease. One reason why I got the job I am in now is because I am qualified to use ArcGIS software and it meant they didn't have to train me to use it. A disadvantage is not knowing which direction to take in your career. Sometimes I wish I knew exactly what I wanted to do. I like where I am now but there are other things I wish to engage in (like in the environmental field) but I'm not sure what exactly, I don't have a 'job title' in mind, so-to-speak. But I am only 22-years-old, and it's likely I might not stay in the one job all my life. Who knows what will happen? Your article has given me a boost of confidence about being a 'Jill of all trades', Tim 🙂 So thank you!
Peter: HAHA. I was Electrician-Jack yesterday, wiring lights in the crawl space under my house, and house seal Jack, sealing my vents to stop summer condensation. Got it done, and did a neat job too, but if I'd have paid me electrician rates, the mortgage would be gone. I must have spent 9 hours in 2 days to crawl around and wire 3 lights, 1 outlet and 1 switch, the latter of which I miswired and had to do again.
Hey Tim, Thanks for your encouraging words. I am a young entrepreneur and I have always supported the idea of being a "Jack of All Trades". I believe that pursuing expertise in multiple skills rather than simply specializing in one makes you a much more flexible person than most, which will allow you to seize many different opportunities as they come your way. From my experience, having a substantial amount of knowledge in many different categories has helped me to adapt to my surroundings more effectively and to live the lifestyle that I desire. All the best, Justin
Hey Tim Awesome post!!! You say above it takes 1 year to become world class at pretty much any skill. Given your martial arts background, i would love it if you could do a post on applying Pareto law to becoming a specialist at say kung fu or kick boxing in under a year. It could have a plan of action? Detailed analysis of what factors lead to quick improvement (flexibility, stamina etc..) and a list of recommended exercises!!! This would be a great read Thanks
I am a true believer in learning to do many things well and pride myself in being able to do just about everything in my life myself eg fixing cars, home maintenance, electrical, building, health, diet etc. A perfect example of this is one of my idols, Chip Foose, from the TV show Overhaulin. He can design, weld, build, panel beat, spray paint and create amazing art works. Each one a skill that many specialise in yet he is probably better than most specialists at each one. Life would be boring if you focused on just the one thing. Try your hand and live a little. More power to you Tim.
Hey Tim, There is a question I'd really love for you to answer, and one that I think a lot of people would be interested in… We very rarely hear about all the times you've failed. I can understand why it's not good PR to publicise your shortcomings, but recently I've been reading a guy called Preston Bailey's blog (he's an amazing event designer) and regularly, he'll share his biggest mistakes with readers and retell anecdotes of times when his plans have gone awry. This was the most inspirational thing he could have done as it totally humanised him and made his fans (me included) feel like, 'he screws up too – heaps! so maybe I have a shot at being as good as him'. It was empowering. I'll always look up to him for being so humble and putting himself out there (especially as some of his worst mistakes were pretty terrible!). I wonder what your top three mistakes of all time are? and how can your fans learn from them? Thanks Tim, I really look forward to your response. p.s – my question is part of a sort of 'exercise' from Ramit Sethi based on smashing assumptions. I hope you can smash mine and respond! Cheers! 🙂 Camilla.
Thank you for this article! As an interdisciplinary artist and schizophrenic crafter, this article describes my process to at T! I love to experiment and make different things and play with different materials. My head has always worked like this for as long as I can remember. Even my library which is quite large has everything from history, feminist theory, animal rights, English literature, science fiction novels, philosophy, sociology and children's literature etc.How boring only ever do one thing! My life is exciting and I keep things fresh. I hope this article helps others understand that creative, innovative and career people are not one-dimensional and can be good at a lot of different things all at once— AND THAT'S A GOOD THING!
"It’s more fun,…" Finally, someone who thinks like me. Most don't see "fun" as essential for success. It's the reason why many don't have passion for their work. In reality, it's more than just about "success". It 's about happiness :).
These are some very good reasons. Keep up the work.
@Joel, Thanks! I'll send this on to the designer. Best, Tim
Hi Jason and Lisa, Of course! Go right ahead. Thanks for the kind words, and please just credit me and this blog if you can. Best, Tim
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it is an interesting take on things, but I tend to disagree. I am a jack of all trades and have done many things and have the toys and fame to back it. No I'm not a millionaire, but am usually the one that many call when they need something done right, or need a problem fixed. Having many skills is never a bad thing.
Let's see, Admittedly, your comment "Don" was set in the year 2010. So you are obviously deprived of foresight. It's just unfortunate you negated a young kids perfectly rational and insightful post–as well as all the rest of us ("you are wrong".) So, maybe at the time you wrote your post you saw no generalist or cross-functional managers when you searched Monster (not the best job search engine, imho btw) but you failed to read the tea leaves that the rest of us were hinting at. If you merely google "generalist positions" today, you get 5.7M hits. There are a large number of websites that are devoted solely to placing generalists, either that or have divisions that are. Who knows where this will lead, but I humbly suggest you stay out of the business of coaching children about their futures. Please.