Comments on: The Corporate Cycle – from Specialists to Generalists, and back again http://greenwhite.org/blog/2008/02/27/the-corporate-cycle-from-specialists-to-generalists-and-back-again/ Coffee Sessions for the Industry! Sat, 12 May 2012 08:39:15 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: Rashad http://greenwhite.org/blog/2008/02/27/the-corporate-cycle-from-specialists-to-generalists-and-back-again/comment-page-1/#comment-10727 Rashad Thu, 24 Apr 2008 07:25:56 +0000 http://greenwhite.org/2008/02/27/the-corporate-cycle-from-specialists-to-generalists-and-back-again/#comment-10727 nice post :)! nice post :) !

]]> By: mansoor http://greenwhite.org/blog/2008/02/27/the-corporate-cycle-from-specialists-to-generalists-and-back-again/comment-page-1/#comment-8208 mansoor Sat, 01 Mar 2008 12:16:19 +0000 http://greenwhite.org/2008/02/27/the-corporate-cycle-from-specialists-to-generalists-and-back-again/#comment-8208 atif: thanks for your input. its always good to hear about other viewpoints and how different organizations take the same problems. meher: welcome to the world of blogging and especially to Green and White. thankyou for your input. zenubia: a similar system is also advocated by the Microsoft Solutions Framework, and does have the potential to work wonders if properly implemented. I like the cap on the size of the business unit, since im also of the opinion that too many people only serve to 'spoil the broth' so to speak. thank you for visiting GnW. atif: thanks for your input. its always good to hear about other viewpoints and how different organizations take the same problems.

meher: welcome to the world of blogging and especially to Green and White. thankyou for your input.

zenubia: a similar system is also advocated by the Microsoft Solutions Framework, and does have the potential to work wonders if properly implemented. I like the cap on the size of the business unit, since im also of the opinion that too many people only serve to ‘spoil the broth’ so to speak. thank you for visiting GnW.

]]> By: zenubia http://greenwhite.org/blog/2008/02/27/the-corporate-cycle-from-specialists-to-generalists-and-back-again/comment-page-1/#comment-8205 zenubia Sat, 01 Mar 2008 09:20:38 +0000 http://greenwhite.org/2008/02/27/the-corporate-cycle-from-specialists-to-generalists-and-back-again/#comment-8205 You should look into Alternative Management Theories preached and practiced by Ricardo Semler of Semco. He has suggested that instead of a traditional hierarchical structure, concentric circles be used to define levels in the hierarchy. The specialists fill the area around the circles and generalists (managers) who have a coordination job float between the circles. This way being a manager is not the only way to the top or should I say the core. Semler has also proposed that each business unit size not exceed 150 ppl "cause thats the level of conducive interaction humanly possible" You should look into Alternative Management Theories preached and practiced by Ricardo Semler of Semco.

He has suggested that instead of a traditional hierarchical structure, concentric circles be used to define levels in the hierarchy. The specialists fill the area around the circles and generalists (managers) who have a coordination job float between the circles. This way being a manager is not the only way to the top or should I say the core.

Semler has also proposed that each business unit size not exceed 150 ppl “cause thats the level of conducive interaction humanly possible”

]]> By: Meher Khawaja http://greenwhite.org/blog/2008/02/27/the-corporate-cycle-from-specialists-to-generalists-and-back-again/comment-page-1/#comment-8190 Meher Khawaja Fri, 29 Feb 2008 21:35:54 +0000 http://greenwhite.org/2008/02/27/the-corporate-cycle-from-specialists-to-generalists-and-back-again/#comment-8190 AA I think its really in the interest of a business concern to have more generalists than specialists especially if the generalists are as smart and capable as the specialists to make sure that the job gets done however complex and challenging it is. Clever management avoid hiring more specialists because when a specialist walks away from the company, he/she could bring business in the technical/vertical domain down. My focus, however, is on the generalist/specialist because I am always on he side of the underdog in a situation. My organization works in several verticals and I train the fresh people who join. My advice to them always is the be a generalist in the first few years of their careers to acquire a lot of skills and then later to become specialists. This is because if they want to go for their own start-up, or move to another company or another geographical location, or be of strategic importance to the same company or just be a globally competitive professional, they have to acquire specialized skills. Eventually ethical specialists can be a win-win situation for any firm they are associated with. I am totally new to this world of blogging. Good to be here. http://www.merhernigarkhawaja.wordpress.com/ AA

I think its really in the interest of a business concern to have more generalists than specialists especially if the generalists are as smart and capable as the specialists to make sure that the job gets done however complex and challenging it is.

Clever management avoid hiring more specialists because when a specialist walks away from the company, he/she could bring business in the technical/vertical domain down.

My focus, however, is on the generalist/specialist because I am always on he side of the underdog in a situation.

My organization works in several verticals and I train the fresh people who join. My advice to them always is the be a generalist in the first few years of their careers to acquire a lot of skills and then later to become specialists. This is because if they want to go for their own start-up, or move to another company or another geographical location, or be of strategic importance to the same company or just be a globally competitive professional, they have to acquire specialized skills. Eventually ethical specialists can be a win-win situation for any firm they are associated with.

I am totally new to this world of blogging. Good to be here.

http://www.merhernigarkhawaja.wordpress.com/

]]> By: Atif Abdul-Rahman http://greenwhite.org/blog/2008/02/27/the-corporate-cycle-from-specialists-to-generalists-and-back-again/comment-page-1/#comment-8177 Atif Abdul-Rahman Fri, 29 Feb 2008 12:24:25 +0000 http://greenwhite.org/2008/02/27/the-corporate-cycle-from-specialists-to-generalists-and-back-again/#comment-8177 @mansoor hmm..interesting point. conceptually it seems so, and i think u have empirical evidence to suggest that too since u have employed it at your org. where i work, we have teams of 5-6 and each person is a specialist who usually doesnot have to add more specialties but increase the depth of the one he/she already has, so there arent many chances of becoming generalist again. but then again, i guess what works for one setup doesnot for the other. @mansoor
hmm..interesting point.
conceptually it seems so, and i think u have empirical evidence to suggest that too since u have employed it at your org.

where i work, we have teams of 5-6 and each person is a specialist who usually doesnot have to add more specialties but increase the depth of the one he/she already has, so there arent many chances of becoming generalist again.
but then again, i guess what works for one setup doesnot for the other.

]]> By: mansoor http://greenwhite.org/blog/2008/02/27/the-corporate-cycle-from-specialists-to-generalists-and-back-again/comment-page-1/#comment-8114 mansoor Wed, 27 Feb 2008 18:32:31 +0000 http://greenwhite.org/2008/02/27/the-corporate-cycle-from-specialists-to-generalists-and-back-again/#comment-8114 cassim: thanks! atif: not really, neither of them are negative in any sense. each is needed as times demand in order to ensure organizations keep changing for the better and keep up with the times. you said without specialists you cannot work in a knowledge based business, however, i ask you this.. once a specialist gets too many specialized skills, dont they again become just generalists? albeit better ones. (this is one model we follow in our organization) cassim: thanks!

atif: not really, neither of them are negative in any sense. each is needed as times demand in order to ensure organizations keep changing for the better and keep up with the times.

you said without specialists you cannot work in a knowledge based business, however, i ask you this.. once a specialist gets too many specialized skills, dont they again become just generalists? albeit better ones. (this is one model we follow in our organization)

]]> By: Atif Abdul-Rahman http://greenwhite.org/blog/2008/02/27/the-corporate-cycle-from-specialists-to-generalists-and-back-again/comment-page-1/#comment-8113 Atif Abdul-Rahman Wed, 27 Feb 2008 17:26:29 +0000 http://greenwhite.org/2008/02/27/the-corporate-cycle-from-specialists-to-generalists-and-back-again/#comment-8113 hmm..interesinting. but i get the feel of a generalist in a bit -ve as in layman like way... id assume ur trying to say specialists need crossfunctional team skills too. without specialists, u cant work in a knowledge based business...and without crossfunctional teams, u cannot harmonize the enterprise and flatten the heirarchy. hmm..interesinting.
but i get the feel of a generalist in a bit -ve as in layman like way…

id assume ur trying to say specialists need crossfunctional team skills too.

without specialists, u cant work in a knowledge based business…and without crossfunctional teams, u cannot harmonize the enterprise and flatten the heirarchy.

]]> By: cassim http://greenwhite.org/blog/2008/02/27/the-corporate-cycle-from-specialists-to-generalists-and-back-again/comment-page-1/#comment-8109 cassim Wed, 27 Feb 2008 14:32:35 +0000 http://greenwhite.org/2008/02/27/the-corporate-cycle-from-specialists-to-generalists-and-back-again/#comment-8109 Excellent post. Excellent post.

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