I consider myself very lucky, every day is very different, I have a diverse range of clients, and a diverse group of friends. Although I may have a general idea of what tomorrow or next week may hold, it can change in an instant - such is the way of working solo and freelance. I do love the variety. I never get bored even when I may spend large stretches of time in my own company. There are always the unexpected twists in turns, the diversions and sometimes I realise that I have simply been looking at the map upside down!
We are all familiar with the saying "Jack of all trades, master of none." There is the long held belief that specialisation can bring career and business success. There is the call "to find your niche". Biologically and through evolution we see specialisation at work. Recently I had this long discussion with a client about whether is was better to specialist or generalist. My argument is that if you are a generalist it does not necessary mean that you are incompetent or less proficient but believe there are quite a lot of advantages to be a generalist.
One of the key advantages of have a broad range of general skills across different fields is that you can draw on seeming unrelated knowledge to approach a problem in a different ways. You are less restricted by the tried-and-true methods. Although it may not be always efficient or successful it is through experimentation and discovery that even greater learning can take place. I think that being a generalist develops a comfort level with change and an ability to quickly adapt as circumstances change. Evolution has also provided numerous cases of now extinct species that were so specialised that when the context changed they were unable to adapt quick enough to survive. I suspect that competent generalists have a high level of curiosity and interest in possibilities without requiring assumed knowledge. Generalists are more "drought resistant" and are more likely to "survive" during the tough times. Specialists on the the hand have an inbuilt redundancy, with success dependent on a specific set of circumstances.
Back in 2008, two scientist from the Ohio University challenged the view that in the division of labor that individual members of a group gravitate to specialization to perform specific tasks toward a common goal. According to this new model, which tweaks two assumptions of the existing theory, there is a place in small groups for generalists to exist and possibly even to thrive. More recently, Forbes published an article which suggested that specialists generate content but that the nature of generalists is that they can provide the meaning and context to apply that content. Art Mackman says "If you develop an appetite for learning and openness, you're more likely to be able to draw ideas from multiple disciplines - and be more creative."
When I think across my entire working life, there is one thing that I have specialised in - creative problem solving ... but much of that has only been possible because of my variegated life and a natural curiosity to learn and understand.
Flying Solo Tip 061365 : Be curious to learn and understand.