By John Worne Most professions will be more disrupted by AI than is recognised; from radiographers to lawyers, AI increasingly does it faster and better. But there's one thing AI isn't - versatile... bring on the Specialist-Generalist; versatility is humanity's standout skill. New Scientist - AI will be able to beat us at everything by … Continue reading New Scientist – AI will be able to beat us at everything by 2060, say experts
Seasons – seizing the moment when organisational climate changes
All organisations have their seasons: new CEO, market changes, the economy dives; new Governments, policies, regulations; reorgs, reshuffles and restructures. The Specialist-Generalist always needs to be attuned to the organisational climate - and be quick to recognise lasting changes in the weather. Good moves that weren't possible at one moment in time, can suddenly become … Continue reading Seasons – seizing the moment when organisational climate changes
HBR – What to Say When Someone Makes an Offensive Comment
By John Worne Diverse international organisations are culturally complex - but like wider society there's also just loads of sexism, ageism, racism and at best unconscious - but sometimes overt - bias in any workplace. Any Specialist-Generalist needs to play their part in actively tackling this. Here's some good advice on how, from the Harvard … Continue reading HBR – What to Say When Someone Makes an Offensive Comment
Listen up – if you want to make friends and influence people…
By John Worne The single most important (and underused) skill in working life is listening. It's also the single most influential thing you can do. And as a Specialist-Generalist it's the only way to develop the relationships and knowledge you need to operate. When you join an organisation, get a new role, change your team, … Continue reading Listen up – if you want to make friends and influence people…
Small is beautiful
By John Worne Big ideas - and big projects - are vital for any organisation to move forward; and there's usually no shortage of them. But real energy and momentum, pace and progress often come from doing smaller things. On spotting a useful 'small change' a Specialist-Generalist will often be jostled by stakeholders, senior leaders … Continue reading Small is beautiful
Bad Behaviour
By John Worne People problems are part of every Specialist-Generalist's working life. Whether it's good people moving on; or more difficult customers giving others a hard time. There are myriad ways to respond to and manage people problems; entire libraries of insights, tools and techniques. But the single thing that matters the most is to … Continue reading Bad Behaviour
Post-Heroic Leadership
By John Worne One thing the Specialist-Generalist - and especially the COO has to accept, is for us: the classic model of 'Heroic' leadership probably isn't going to work. In truth it probably doesn't work well for anyone any more; but assuming you're working with a CEO or another obvious 'lead' figure, then (as in … Continue reading Post-Heroic Leadership
‘Diary, Biggest Problem/Most Difficult Thing’
By John Worne COOs and Specialist-Generalists usually collect big issues; and to get things done have to give willingly of their time. Broad accountabilities usually mean lots of meeting - and then there's the inbox. But sometimes lots of activity can be saved by getting to the heart of the matter - with the people … Continue reading ‘Diary, Biggest Problem/Most Difficult Thing’
HBR – Pick your quick wins
A Specialist-Generalist often needs to weave a little magic when they start a new job; it's important to get people buying in and on board. And it's often harder than for an acknowledged specialist or a functional leader. I shared this simple but important piece of advice from the HBR with a newly promoted Director … Continue reading HBR – Pick your quick wins
Professional Standards
By John Worne Often as organisations grow, they 'professionalise'. Bringing more outside expertise in key areas is often crucial as scale and complexity increase - in Finance, IT, HR, Estates, Governance, Legal, Security, Risk and the list goes on. Very often incoming professionals have a difficult transition - especially when things in their new organisation … Continue reading Professional Standards
The Specialist-Generalist 