The case against specializing
Public relations is a peculiar field in that encompasses lots of stuff – marketing, advertising, research, writing, social media, selling, lobbying, mailing, talking to reporters, planning, presenting, Powerpointing, interneting, dispensing B.S., etc.
Early in my career, I discovered a tendency toward bouncing from one of those competencies to the next. It wasn’t long before I discovered that, in a room full of smart PR people, I was never the best at any of those single areas (save maybe writing). But chances were, I was decent at more of them.
In time, this characteristic would cause me bouts of gastrointestinal distress. While my PR-firm colleagues increasingly “specialized,” and as a result got all sorts of new responsibilities and cool projects, my rear-end seemed to stay firmly crammed into the jack-of-all-trades bucket. I was even warned by a few higher-ups that I should probably choose to get really good at SOMETHING. But because of short attention span or whatever else, it never really happened. In time, I simply owned it.
Then last year, I read the wonderful New York Times bestseller The World Without Us. In it, Alan Weisman explores the rhetorical question, “If every human being died tomorrow, what would become of the works of man?” Amid the vivid, detailed scenarios of how the human race might expire (macabre, I know), he argues for the profound merits of generalization. He asserts that city people such as dentists and DMV customer-service managers will be the first to check out when the proverbial s@%t hits the fan. They’re specialized for urban life. But that specialization, the very reason for their success, will be their undoing.
By contrast, he asserts, rural people will last the longest because they know how to collect water, grow food, and do other little things that matter when you want to stay alive.
Of course, I hardly fall into the rural category. But, somewhat comically, the book made me feel better about the fact that I’ve never really specialized within my little field. I still can do about 12 different kinds of PR things, more than most, and do them pretty well. It’s not going to feed me come apocalypse, but it’ll keep me entertained in the meantime.
Tags: Alan Weisman, Shane Kinkennon, specializing, The World Without Us
January 19th, 2010 at 1:24 pm
Good post, Shane. Makes me think of this great quotation:
“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 A. Heinlein
January 19th, 2010 at 1:32 pm
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January 19th, 2010 at 1:35 pm
Thanks Tim. I’ve never seen that before. I absolutely LOVE it.
January 19th, 2010 at 5:11 pm
Well I might be able to make a case for a dentist
being really useful in the post-apocalypse — at least a dentist who could
cope without all the automated equipment.
As for me, I’m a confirmed generalist and have often been on the receiving
end of “you should specialize more.” Most of my jobs have turned into
research projects or computer support — but I don’t end up staying in
either box.
Barbara Sher often talks about people she calls “scanners” who don’t settle
down and focus on just one thing. Some of that applies here as well.
Love the Heinlein quote — have read it before but it had slipped out
of my mind. Undoubtedly too many other general things in there!
January 20th, 2010 at 8:24 am
thanks Brenda. I need to go read some Barbara Sher.
February 18th, 2010 at 12:01 pm
Good insights Shane. One of the greatest complements I have ever received from a colleague was to be called a “Renaissance Man”.
July 28th, 2010 at 12:17 pm
Shane–
Great Post. I believe that you were the person who taught me the term “Communications Utility Player”… – you’ll be pleased to know that I have since stolen this term.
I do a LOT of work for a small company they’ve told me that the main reason they keep me on the books, – despite layoffs – is that know I can handle pretty much anything they throw at me, and will tell them, and suggest someone else for the job, if I can’t do what they want.
I wonder if we did a quick poll of our colleagues who are currently looking for work – how muchmore successful are the ‘utility players’ than the ‘specialists’.
M.