Organisations want innovation
I’m not sure that statement is strictly true. Organisations say they want innovation, but the status quo is a very comfortable, unthreatening place to be.
Organisations need innovation
Maybe that is more realistic. If you don’t evolve and adapt whilst those around you are, then you are unlikely to survive.
Innovation comes from mixing unrelated ideas
That is a truism. If you mix related ideas, maybe tomato sauce and pasta, with an olive or two, you may well create something good, but it won’t be innovative. Plenty of others will see the same opportunities and create the same ideas.
Mixing unrelated ideas however brought you:
Generalists encounter unrelated ideas
If you want innovation, then people who have worked across a range of industries and disciplines are all important. Innovation comes from generalisation. The more of a generalist you are, the more unrelated ideas you will encounter and the more likely you are to combine them.
But organisations reward specialists
If you want to go far in your career then the trick is to specialise:
- First become an accountant
- Then become a tax accountant
- Then become a corporate tax accountant
- Then become an E.U. corporate tax accountant
There isn’t a specialist E.U. corporate tax accountant in the country who isn’t being very well rewarded.
Few of the big accountancy firms are asking their EU corporate tax accountants to broaden their experience and move into their fraud, life sciences or technology practices. Why would they? It is counter intuitive.
Specialists kill generalists
You can’t be both. You have to chose to be one, or the other.
If you accept the argument that innovation comes from generalists then specialists must be killing innovation as well.
So if you want innovation…
And aren’t just giving it lip service in the hope of an easy life, you have to nurture your generalists. No matter how uncomfortable that feels.
If you enjoyed this post click here to receive the next
Read another opinion
Image by Clement127
Specialists keep their jobs because of this rule… “Be faithful to that which exists nowhere but in yourself – and thus make yourself indispensable.” While generalists keep theirs because they rule innovation. Something for everyone!
Annette :-)