In this age of online banking, downloadable transactions, and software that balances your checkbook for you, it’s easy to let your banking run on autopilot. But if you don’t check your bank statements, you should....
When talking with doctors, we patients are often reluctant to ask questions. Since we’re so reluctant to ask doctors about big things—like how to keep from going to an early grave—it’s no surprise that in many cases, we don’t even consider asking them about little things. ...
In any construction project, all of the technical experts work hard in their own areas of specialty. But without a generalist who can see the big picture, coordinate the various technical aspects, and keep everyone focused on the needs of the owner and end user, sometimes the entire project suffers....
A strong project manager is a value-added professional—someone who bring skills other than technical expertise to the table. One of those skills is the ability to recognize which of many factors is the real priority in a given situation....
Outstanding project managers in any venue—construction, IT, engineering, or everyday life—have skills beyond technical expertise....
When you’re taking a generalist approach, it’s helpful to use decision-making tools to support a thought process that results in successful outcomes. One important tool is the Three Bears test....
The medical field has always been a realm of various types of specialists. (And when I say “specialists,” I’m including primary care providers, since they too have specialized knowledge compared to a generalist like me.) But in recent years the health care system seems to have added more layers of specialization. We used to say were “going to the doctor”; these days we’re more likely to interact with one or more members of a medical team, each with different credentials and responsibilities....
Recently I was struck by the fact that the 2010 movie The King’s Speech includes several themes relevant to generalism.
The Academy Award-winning film is based on actual events in the lives of King George VI and an Australian speech therapist, Lionel Logue. The future king (at that time known as Prince Albert, Duke of York) turns to Logue as his last hope in overcoming a severe stammer. The rest of the movie shows both the progress of the therapy and the development of the two men’s friendship over the course of several years....
From the very beginning of our lives, we are told to specialize. We ask children, “What is your favorite color?” “What is your favorite class?” and of course, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” As we get older, it seems choices are increasingly narrow....
From the very beginning of my career, I found myself in situations where I had to learn about complex, highly technical issues and explain them to others. For instance, in my role as a liaison for the US Department of Energy, I educated government officials and others about policies related to the transportation and storage of nuclear waste....
