Jack of all Master of one – by knowing all the parts you can make a better whole.
The Generalist/Specialist.

I have been talking about this one for a long time. I don’t think a person should only know one task or skill set related to their job or area of work, even on an assembly line there is value in knowing what is going on around you. A person should know all the parts of a related area, but be an expert in one of those parts.

So for example a person who is a software “UI designer” should know about, or be a Jack of, Industrial Design and how their work will be impacted by the hardware a person has to use the software on, they should also know Information Architecture so they can structure the UI correctly, they should also know about Business Analyst and Project Management skills so they can work with other people on the project, they should have User Experience skills so the UI is usable and effective, they should have Developer/Engineer/Programming/Architecture skills so they can help build the UI and prototypes, etc, etc, etc, and they should be an expert in, or be a Master of, Design so that the UI looks great.

There is so much more value in this type of person and role. Being a good generalist and a great specialist is something everyone should pursue in their career.

I will expand on this as the thoughts come and I have more time.

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