There are many conflicting characterizations of a generalist. For instance, the saying "Jack of all trades, master of none", paints them in a pretty negative light. But is that true?
A more positive perspective of the generalist comes from research done by Wharton professor Philip Tetlock. In studying how people make decisions, particularly ones that forecast future events, Tetlock found a certain profile that did better than the others. These individuals, which he calls “foxes”, prefer to “know many little things, draw from an eclectic array of traditions, and accept ambiguity and contradictions.” as opposed to “hedgehogs” who rely on filtering information through one perspective. As it turned out, professional forecasting experts were more likely to use the specialist “hedgehog” thinking. They were also far less accurate at their predictions than a non-expert using the generalist “fox” thinking.
So is the Jack-of-all-trades a fox? Well, not exactly. Both terms are referring to using a broad approach to an activity, however Tetlock’s fox-hedgehog dichotomy is talking about how someone thinks (broad view, narrow view), while the phrase “Jack-of-all-trades” is referencing a person’s skills (broad skill set as opposed to narrow skill set). This means we are describing two different categories: a generalist approach to thinking and a generalist approach to acquired skills. Hmm… the plot thickens. To get a better sense of how these two types differ, let’s use both of these traits to look at a generalist.
GENERALIST SKILLS
Has acquired a variety of skills in several disciplines.
GENERALIST THINKING STYLE
Focuses on connecting the dots between different subjects.
In reality, the skills and thinking style would each be on their own spectrum with one end being a preference for generalist and the other for specialist. However, to make these preferences easier to identify, let’s consider the extreme end of the generalist side and add in a variable for level of experience.
Skills
Thinking
Beginner
Newbie
(Common)
Enthusiast
(Uncommon)
Experienced
Super-Utility Player
(Rare)
Oracle
(Very Rare)
Using a matrix, we come up with four profiles: Newbie, Super-Utility Player, Enthusiast, and Oracle. The super-utility player is the prime example of the Jack-of-all-trades, while the big picture holistic-thinking fox is the oracle. The newbie and enthusiast are the lesser experienced of the bunch, but still have the potential to develop their skills to the next level.
The Super-Utility Player
In baseball, a super-utility player is one who can play various defensive positions on the field competently, as well as, being a contributor at bat. A regular utility player may step in occasionally when someone is injured or needs a day off, but a super-utility plays every game, except the position he plays that day depends on where he’s best needed.
Super-utility players are versatile, adaptable and team oriented. These natural troubleshooters are comfortable wearing many hats in an organization. They may even seek out specific opportunities to do so. Where they shine is in business environments that have a flat organizational structure or have good communication and collaboration between departments.
If you would like to learn how to identify and develop your own super-utility players, Dan Ryan, from Ryan Search & Consulting has some excellent advice. One of his suggestions includes providing opportunities for interested staff members to try other roles through initiatives like a staff rotation process.
The Oracle
Behind every great solution, you will find excellently-defined problems. And behind excellently-defined problems, you are likely to find talented Oracles. These folks thrive on an insatiable curiosity that leads them to being open to new ideas and possibilities.
Oracle’s value using dialog and inquiry to fully flesh out their ideas and to stimulate critical thinking. Their out-of-the-box thinking fosters innovation by looking at all the facets of an issue from multiple angles. This approach allows them to see how nuances inherent in the situation could shape the outcome. To get this birds-eye view of the problem, Oracles search for input beyond the silos of their own discipline.
They also understand the importance of humility. This not only helps Oracles see the value in someone else’s well-thought-out opinion, even if that belief is in conflict with their own view, but it also allows Oracles to keep their thinking fluid and adaptable when they encounter new relevant information. Oracles feel quite at home with change and ambiguity because they expect uncertainty. This is due to their natural instinct for comprehending the effects of probability and chaos on a system.
Being able to see the whole system and everything that effects it, contributes to finding solutions that not only solve the initial problem, but also resolves issues that would have affected the outcome tangentially or in the future. This innate understanding of systems thinking produces radical results and often leads an Oracle to be labeled as a visionary or a maverick. Luckily, having a penchant for breaking-down barriers and leaving a wake of disruptive innovation and ideas makes them easier to spot.
Generalists occasionally get a bad rap, but most likely it’s undeserved. Many formal institutions have barriers that impede a generalist’s talent, leaving them to go unrecognized, under-utilized, and under-developed. This is a shame since a generalist’s style of thinking and ability are crucial for success in a world of uncertainty and rapid change. The good thing is they are out there, the trick is in recognizing when they are right under your nose.