Great piece Michael. It is somewhat counterintuitive that generalists may outperform specialists, but I imagine, as you allude to, that holds true only in teams comprised of a mix of generalists and specialists. That way, they complement and bring out the best in each other.
This discussion reminds me a bit of how DARPA works. Groundbreaking innovation arises from small, temporary teams of individuals brought together to solve a complex problem. These teams are brought together in forms that may not have occurred otherwise, which is party what makes DARPA so innovative.
The whole can be greater than the sum of its parts.
It is totally the teaming. My strength is that I'm a jack of all trades and a systems thinker. It's also my weakness and so I surround myself with deep experts as well. But their weakness is knowing how to tie their stuff together. So, it's a perfect pairing.
This is super helpful, thank you for sharing. It's something that I have always had trouble grappling with, and you articulated it in this article. I think it's important that one can recognize/admit what kind of person they really are and surround themselves with complements.
Great piece Michael. It is somewhat counterintuitive that generalists may outperform specialists, but I imagine, as you allude to, that holds true only in teams comprised of a mix of generalists and specialists. That way, they complement and bring out the best in each other.
This discussion reminds me a bit of how DARPA works. Groundbreaking innovation arises from small, temporary teams of individuals brought together to solve a complex problem. These teams are brought together in forms that may not have occurred otherwise, which is party what makes DARPA so innovative.
The whole can be greater than the sum of its parts.
It is totally the teaming. My strength is that I'm a jack of all trades and a systems thinker. It's also my weakness and so I surround myself with deep experts as well. But their weakness is knowing how to tie their stuff together. So, it's a perfect pairing.
This is super helpful, thank you for sharing. It's something that I have always had trouble grappling with, and you articulated it in this article. I think it's important that one can recognize/admit what kind of person they really are and surround themselves with complements.
Love it and yes completely.