Do you need to be an expert? Think about how many times this idea has been told to you. Have you heard of the 10,000 hour rule or the idea of deliberate practice? Both of these ideas, among others, push the idea of expertise. But do you really need to be an expert at one thing or specialize in a specific field, or know your niche? Do you know what is a generalist?
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This blog is about exploring outside of the box. Looking at different ways to do things outside of the typically accepted advice. So far we’ve challenged the idea of what it means to chase your dreams. We’ve looked hard at whether you need a niche. And now we are going to challenge the idea that you need to specialize.
This post is all about what is a generalist.
Sometimes you hear an idea so often that you accept it as fact without fully vetting whether it is the best idea for you. Specializing is one of those ideas. Before we challenge it, we need to define what is a generalist.
What is a Generalist?
In a nutshell, a generalist is a person who is always learning. It is someone with a highly curious mind and seeks answers to satisfy her curiosity. It is someone who can integrate knowledge from various fields and come up with a solution to an unrelated problem.
Are you still asking yourself, but what is a generalist. Here is a definition from Range by David Epstein: people who start broad and embrace diverse experiences and perspectives while they progress.
My Personal Success as a Generalist
I know this all sounds very academic, so let me share my story with you. If you’ve read my about page then you know I started my virtual assistant business because I was laid off. This was a very scary time, wondering if we were going to make it and how we would make it.
Before I was laid off, I was already looking into becoming a virtual assistant. I wanted the flexibility to break free from the 9–5, be my own boss, homeschool my kids, and enjoy my life. The 3-month severance package I received, gave me the bridge I needed to see if I could make this work.
In all of my research on starting a business, I came across two pieces of advice: specialize and find a niche.
Reading this advice, constantly, was like a crushing blow. The voice in my head kept telling me that I would never be able to succeed.
I would look at my husband with pleading eyes, hoping he had the answer to this question: “What on earth should I specialize in?” In the entirety of my career, there was only one job that I ever focused on just one thing, and I cried almost every night when I had that job.
How Could I be Successful Without a Specialty
How in the world was I going to make money if I didn’t have a specialty. Everywhere I turned, I was being told this was the only way to succeed.
Do these thoughts parade around in your mind? Have you hesitated to start a business or a blog because you are a generalist. The knowledge and expertise you have to share is wide. But everywhere you look, you are being told that you must specialize or find a niche. Are you starting to believe these voices because everyone is saying it. There must be some truth, right?
So I am going to say something radical to you. You don’t need a niche and you don’t need to specialize. After almost 7 years as a virtual assistant, my broad knowledge and experience serves me well. I couldn’t do what I do, or serve the clients I do serve if I wasn’t a generalist.
What is a Generalist: 5 Traits of a Master Generalist
1. A lot of experience
A mark of a master generalist is usually the amount of experience they possess. This goes beyond just work experience. It encompasses life experience as well.
2. A lot of knowledge
A master generalist has a curious mind. Whatever the interest, she will pursue knowledge to satisfy her curiosity. And in the process, gain knowledge. Generalists tend to read a lot and from a wide variety of fields.
3. Outside of the box solutions
When facing uncertain environments and uncommon problems, you want to turn to a master generalist. Because master generalist are open to contrary ideas and solutions. They will look at unconventional problems and rather than rely on past experience, they will pull in knowledge from other areas of learning.
Like the creator of the Nintendo gaming system. At a time when technology was changing quickly, Yokoi, embarked on a different approach. Instead of trying to come up with new technology, he decided to rethink existing technology. To come up with outside of the box ideas with items that already existed. Yokoi is the first to say, “I don’t have any particular specialist skills. I have a sort of vague knowledge of everything.” (I first heard this story in Range, and quote is from Range.)
4. Proven track record of learning…anything
What is a master generalist? They possess a proven track record of learning. A generalist always needs to be learning. Whether it is reading, taking classes, or tinkering around. This process never stops for a generalist.
My career has never been a straight line. There have been many twists and turns, and changes in skills and job descriptions. But from my wide experience and knowledge, I am confident enough to say yes to almost anything. I have the proven track record of learning anything that comes my way.
5. A curious mind
This really goes hand-in-hand with number 4. If you want to learn, you really do need to start with a curious mind. How does something work? Is there another way to do this? Always ask the questions to understand why something is done one way.
Are these traits sounding familiar to you? Are you answering the question for yourself: What is a generalist?
What is a Generalist: 5 Benefits of being a Generalist
Now that we’ve looked at some traits of a generalist, let’s talk about the benefits of being a master generalist.
1. Learn new things
Yes, this is the top benefit. You get to learn new things and usually that learning translates into experience. That experience translates into new skills to offer your clients.
2. Greater confidence
As you prove to yourself that you can learn anything, this will give you a greater confidence to say yes to clients and projects.
3. Ability to adapt in uncertain circumstances
Wide experience and knowledge lets the master generalist handle new problems with uncommon solutions. The master generalist is able to pull in knowledge from other fields and apply it to different problems.
4. Broad experience
You have a lot of experience. This is definitely a benefit of a generalist, you just have a lot of experience in different fields.
5. Beat boredom
Have you ever been in a specialized job? You know, the kind of job where you do the same things over and over. Every. Single. Week. And you just start running on autopilot. Some people like this type of work and that is great, but most generalist will go mad in this kind of job.
As a generalist you aren’t limited to the clients or projects you accept. This helps to keep things fresh and changing.
Conclusion
My fellow mom, I hope the question—what is a generalist—is answered for you. I hope you are encouraged that you don’t need to specialize to be successful in business. You can be a master generalist and be very successful. Are you a master generalist? Read the next posts in the series, Generalist vs Specialist, How to be Successful in Business as a Generalist.
Do you want to start a successful business as a virtual assistant without a niche? Are you ready to turn your broad experience and wide knowledge into a profitable business? Download your free Mom Boss 2.0 workbook and get started.
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