the work wheel

attempted graphic design by: alex laughnan a computer scientist and web developer by trade, i sit in a lot of meetings…a lot of meetings…talking about how to implement client projects and company technology systems.

there are some days where i consider myself simply a “doer” (i.e. someone who exists solely to implement their assigned tasks). on the odd days where i aim to play toward my less-focused skills (such as graphic design and typography), i often become entranced and excited. such new, fascinating territory!

“where is this going?” you may inquire. funny you should ask…

a co-worker once looked at me and said (to the talk of my weaknesses), “well, alex, those skills just aren’t in your work wheel. don’t bother with them.”

i did not take this as criticism, rather, i pondered what this meant. are we, as worker bees in society, meant to focus solely on our strengths and maximize them to their highest potential? certainly, this is where buzzwords such as “specialists” come into play. there are people who are good at a subset of skills and are the go-to in their company.

while i wholly embrace collaboration — as the spice of life, this concept seems constraining and undesirable. i want to have to my hands in a whole host of different areas, fields, strengths and weaknesses.

through a small amount of internet research (aka google.com), i discovered more than a few articles talking about the detriment of focusing on weaknesses.

focusing on what we don’t do well only weakens our confidence, enthusiasm, creativity and overall performance. worse still, we don’t get that much better for all the effort. — markus buckingham

well, pooh! i’m still not convinced. let us suppose that specializing in a specific subset of knowledge within your field is not the most desired employee. in your organization (specifically within operations/administration folk), are well-rounded people who are knowledgeable in a diverse range of topics more desirable?

i brought these thoughts to one of my freelance clients, an it administrator at a local private college. his response was hilarious, yet saddening.

i feel like i’m a jack of all trades, but a “know-er” of none. isn’t that how the saying goes?

fun fact, i have no idea how that saying goes. maybe if i had heard that before now, i would not be writing this article. irregardless of the continuing proof that specialization is key, i still cannot jump on the bandwagon. i still remain, at the core, unconvinced.

thus the question turns to you, are your strengths the only thing you should be using the power your work?

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