T-Shaped Knowledge
Qualities of T-Shaped Individuals.
The letter T has two arms, one vertical and another horizontal.
While referring to T-shaped knowledge, the horizontal arm represents the breadth of knowledge and skill an individual has, while the vertical arm represents the the depth and ability of the individual to apply the knowledge and skills they possess.
The T-shaped person not only has the requisite knowledge and ability, but they know how to apply their knowledge and skills to all conceivable situations.
Can you imagine a sales person who can apply their specialty to various other areas in life? That’s what a T-shaped person is capable of.
These sorts of people have both hard and soft skills. For example, in additional to being a master mathematician, a t-shaped person might also be very good at networking, critical thinking, public speaking, and sign-language. A person with such skills could effectively teach mathematics in a school of the deaf.
In reality, many ultra successful people rarely have one single point of expertise. They have a varied range of interests or hobbies. Pick five very successful people you know and you’ll rarely find that they’re very good at just one single thing. They might be successful and perhaps famous because of one thing, but it won’t be the only thing they’re good at. My favorite of the lot is Benjamin Franklin, who was a writer, politician, inventor, investor, scientist, traveler, and many other things.
Relatedly, in his book Range, David Epstein talks about the importance of exploring and pursuing various skills/interests — whether academic, social, professional, it doesn't matter.
The idea is that one may be a specialist at one thing, but still have a diverse skill set. It’s just natural that in your broad set of skills, one will be more dominant — and you’ll specialize or practice that more, relegating the others to weekend practice or whenever you want to — leisurely.
The advantages of being good at a number of things far outweigh those of being very good at just one thing. If you’re the former, you’re more creative, likely to better collaborate with others, and find satisfaction in going deep on subjects because there’s always something to learn and you’re never bored.
Someone who knows enough about music, micro-biology, crypto-mining, and the history of ancient civilizations is a much better conversationalist than someone who is an expert and is only interested in astrophysics.
I think we could all profit from being all-rounded fellows. There’s a whole range of fascinating topics on the face of the earth. Something you can dig deep into and, to your surprise, find very enlightening — and not only in the topic itself, but also in its application.
Suggestions for Further Reading
Introducing T-Shaped Managers: Knowledge Management’s Next Generation
