The Death of Industry Experts. The Rise of "Expert Generalists".

By Greg Walters

You know a lot about a lot.

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In the book “RANGE” by David Epstein, he explains that the world is running on a spectrum from of one type of learning environment to another environment:

1. Kind environments, characterized by clear rules, repetitive patterns, and unchanging tasks. Specialists whose jobs are at risk fall under this category.
   
2. Wicked environments, characterized by obscure data, no rules, constant change, and abstract ideas. Generalists who can adapt and excel across different skillsets fall under this category.

We are in The fall of Industry Experts and the Rise of the​ Expert Generalist period if Ai Evolution. 

Remember when 10,000 hours of doing anything made you and expert at doing that one thing and how CxO's retire or simply go out on their own helping other companies get better by sharing over 20 years of experience in managing or strategically aligning business structures? Financial people would consul at the CFO level, HR experts would help bring an organization into the new way of HR.  Finally, the phrase 'digital transformation' became the bell every business wanted to ring  - industries grew document management, data, payroll, manufacturing, supply chain, copier, print and security experts.
Everybody became specialized - silo'd. Focused.

​And it was good.
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But then comes along artificial intelligence.  And it is incredible.  So easy to use and through an LLM, "talking" us through the most intriguing ageless questions and tasks:

• "Write an advertisement for my copier dealership and how we help companies transform."
• "Tell me what this article means."
• "What is the best way to chose bourbon, for a new whiskey drinker?"
• and the Haiku's the haikus were a plenty.

​Fishermen leave octopus traps on the seabed for days. In time, octopuses enter these pots out of curiosity or for shelter. When the fishermen bring the pots back to the surface, the octopuses do not try to escape, they stay put in their pot.

​Talk about shinny objects.  It doesn't matter what you do for a living, what classes you're taking, or what questions need solving, when Ai generate, or help you discover the answer. 

So what does all this mean? I'll tell you what this all means:
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1. What once was your greatest strength, Focus, is now your greatest weakness.
2. The old ways, the hierarchies, functional silos, even the rules and regulations of last year, are obsolete.
3. ​It is up to you, not Them.

​I know being smart about your "unique" function and special purpose was the best way to accel along a solid career path -those days are over.  It isn't that you personally will be negatively effected. Change is always good.  Yet for the generations behind you, studying one way to do things or to specialize in a singular discipline is not only defeatist it is limiting; short sighted and strangling.  This is akin to like rubbing the Ai lamp, being granted endless wishes, and stopping at three. Why limit yourself?
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What?​

​Sure, its easier to limit. It reduces the chances to be hurt; to experience fear, and pain. But isn't climbing that corporate ladder, painful? Isn't watching the wrong people get promotions or stressing out over that yearly review, only to discover that focusing on check boxes, was meaningless and fake?  Hush.  Take your two percent raise and be thankful.  Enjoy the company swag, Taco Tuesdays and complete these tasks for your next review. Stay in your lane, don't get out over your skis and stay in line. 
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We are living in a time where the belief that this "is the Way" is transforming into that "WAS" the Way.  Which leads us to the the biggest secret or lie in the corporate world - the C-Suite and ownership know this to be true.  Time is running out and they are scared.  This is why you hear them say, "things will get back to normal", push return to the office mandates and insist on Ai regulations and guardrails. The system needs control to sustain.  I know this sounds like some anti-capitalistic, Marxist mantra - and I HATE THAT.  Because this 'revolution' goes beyond -isms.  But for the old ways to continue, a strict adherence, to knowing your place in the systems, processes and procedures, like a all good COGs(cost of goods sold), is the rule, guardrail, regulation and mandate.

​The term “expert-generalist” was coined by Orit Gadiesh, a corporate strategist and chairperson of Bain & Company.  She defined an Expert Generalist as someone who has the ability and curiosity to master and collect expertise in many different disciplines, industries, skills, topics and capabilities.

Which brings me to the Rise of the Expert Generalist.

As the world is transforming on every level, in every silo, The generalists were labeled as unfocused, unproductive, scattered, disorganized- jack of all, expert in none. Okay, in some cases, this is true.  But there are those who see the entire vision, without blinders.  They connect the dots, like stars in the night sky, to reveal a story inside and outside the constellation.

This is what is needed in an "artificial intelligence expert" - not how to clean a database of know the difference between "machine learning" and "transformers".  The ability to see the crescent as well as the whole of the Moon - the Expert Generalist.  The person who understands how all processes, are connected that nothing occurs in a vacuum.  Someone who can look at a specific function, and follow the influence within an existing system, and how that system interacts with the Universe of Possibilities - like watching the billiard break, only the pool table is in all dimensions - 3 to 11.

​What are the specific qualities of an Expert Ai Generalist?

1. ​in-depth workflow knowledge across multiple areas in the workplace.
2. flourishes in different situations and prepared for a variety of circumstances.
3. posses an array of transferable skills applicable to a expansive and dynamic range of areas.

​Ai boils aggregated movements into one, specific point - You. 

​Like Neo and the Blue or Red pill, Ai opens up a vista of possibilities like never before or recedes your existence into stress free bliss.