Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Ludwig on December 9, 2009 at 11:44

Good question. Hard question. My start-up company whynot is also discussing that topic. We would like to select customers also on their sustainability — but it is hard to draw the line. Any solutions around?

Permalink Reply by Sean Kearns on December 16, 2009 at 20:54

Arne--

I thought about this question briefly while watching the hockey game last night.

I was wondering where you got your figures saying that generalists are being adopted in the modern business world. Everywhere I look, I see organizations that have implemented either horizontal (essentially) cross-functional teams with passive management, or a traditional vertical hierarchy. Perhaps fields other than defense and military have adopted a true horizontal or boundaryless structure with cross-functional team composed of generalists.

I personally am opposed to moving toward the generalists. It wouldn't be possible to create an organization that cares with generalists; e.g. specialist jobs would be eliminated to make way for the generalists that would mind for all tasks the specialists previously did. Could this phenomenon be somehow compared with the elimination of jobs due to technology?

Individualism would also be a factor in this, especially in a capitalist system. Take your drinking water for example. With a generalist, there is more of a risk for a disgruntled employee to dirty the drinking water for the entire organization--perhaps ultimately destroying their potential for public interface.

Perhaps it's not possible for organizations to create systems that care in an capitalist economy. Perhaps the socialist or communist economic organizations must be considered when thinking in terms of equality and eliminating individualism. Maybe even the organizational behavior and culture standards could be evaluated.

Network GuidePermalink Reply by Arne van Oosterom on December 16, 2009 at 21:26

Sean,

Maybe the words Generalist is not the right word. I wanted to say T-shaped person... but I don't like such labels. But maybe Creative Thinker is closer to what I mean.

I have no numbers, I have a gut feeling and years experience to see there is a shift happening.

And naturally specialist will always be needed. And we are looking for a good balance between the specialist and the "creative Thinkers" in a company.

And to generalize it a bit further: The specialist has underdeveloped emphatic abilities, the creative thinker has strong emphatic abilities.

So, what I'm just trying to say is: When there are more creative thinkers in a company, with stronger empathic abilities, it might have a positive effect. (I'm not looking for perfect, but for "best intentions.)