5 reasons why good Generalists are like potatoes

Published on 2022-11-16 13:41

I was never a fan of potatoes growing up. I thought they were boring, mushy, and bland. But in the last 20 years and having moved to cities, I realize they are the perfect food! They are the ultimate all-rounder: mashed, fried, baked or boiled. Top it off; they go with everything, including cheese, egg, or meat – not to mention veggies too! As a bonus point: they are inexpensive and available across the globe!

I never liked potatoes as a kid because they looked too bland and mushy. But in the last 20 years, I have realized that they are the perfect food.

Potatoes do not discriminate against any other ingredient or cuisine. They can be enjoyed in any shape and size chips to fries to wedges, without discrimination! Also, Potatoes are versatile and are a must-have in different cuisines.

Much like the Generalists who can work in any organization and culture. They have the unique ability to adapt themselves according to the needs of a team or an organization without discriminating against anyone. Like potatoes, they imbibe the values or culture of their workplace.

Generalists are like potatoes. Like potatoes, they do not have a distinctive snob factor. They usually do not cost much to hire while delivering immense value to organizations when hired well!

Like potatoes that are easy to prepare, Generalists can quickly be onboarded across industries because they possess skills applicable across domains.

Generalists are the ultimate all-rounder, like potatoes.

Potatoes are versatile and adaptable and can be cooked in various ways. You can have your mashed spuds straight up or make them into chips, wedges or even potato gratin. These versatile tubers can be used as the main course or as the side dish—they are equally good either way!

A good Generalist is similar —they are the ultimate all-rounder who can take on any role you give them, no matter how big or small. A true Generalist will always be your second-in-command (after all, they are exceptionally good at taking orders). They are also more than capable of stepping up to lead projects if they need to do so—and sometimes even when they do not need to do so because they want some more responsibility!

Generalists are wildly versatile – mashed, fried, baked or boiled. Oops.

Have you ever noticed that potatoes are versatile? They can be mashed, fried, baked or boiled. You can use them as a side dish or main course. You can even make potato salad out of them (and who does not love potato salad?).

Just like good Generalists! Good Generalists are versatile, and they can be used in many ways. They can be used as a team lead, a project manager in the main course, or as that go-to resourceful guy.

Top it off; they go with everything, including cheese, egg, meat, or veggies. A good Generalist can be put in any department – project, product, sales, operations, or finance. They can be worked with in many ways, go with many departments and are not too pricey and accessible.

They can be your side dish or even your main course.

Like potatoes, a good generalist can be your “side dish, or even your main course” (sic). The potato and the generalist are both versatile. They can work on projects requiring technical skills but not too much specialization—tasks called “the 80%” if you are looking for someone to take care of the back-end development of your website or app, great! Oh wait, did you say your Operations team have quit en masse? Look for a few generalists. That is yet another area where they will shine, not outside their boss. And after all this, they will probably still have time left to help with other things like graphic design or marketing (if you need it).

The bottom line is that if you need something done quickly and well—and do not mind having them around after they are done—good generalists will always be there for you.

They are also not expensive and accessible across the globe.

Yes, they are not expensive, like some Yartsa Gunbu, Spanish peas, Wasabi roots or pink lettuce. Potatoes are accessible across the globe and inexpensive. There may be some La Bonnotte Potatoes, but they are more exceptions than the rule. They can be grown in most countries, which means they are available all year round, unlike other foods with strict growing seasons. Potatoes contain a valuable source of carbohydrates, vitamin C, potassium, and fibre, making them ideal for people on a budget or with dietary restrictions. Even more importantly—they can be stored for months!

The generalist is produced in most countries, universally available, and significantly less constant skilling and grooming. Generalists are a valuable resource for contextualization, standardization, and cross-functional and cross-industry innovation. Even more importantly, they have a long shelf life, unlike some of the tech industry, where the skills courses/certifications they attempt to gain are already ancient by the time they finish a course!

Generalists are a valuable resource for contextualization, standardization, and cross-functional and cross-industry innovation.

A Generalist is like a potato – good in everything but rarely gets credit for all the goodness.

Yes, many things, well, from being a Patient Care Assistant or a Police Officer or a President, but they rarely get credit for all the goodness that comes from being a Jack of all trades. A Generalist can be hired for any project or team because they are usually capable in many areas. It is high time we see their versatility and pay attention as they should. From fries to wedges to chips – they are everywhere.

I hope you enjoyed reading this post and found it helpful in shaping and shifting your career. If you are a Generalist like me, do not worry. We have lots of time to prove that we are good and the best at what we do!

A man in a pin-striped business suit looks happy, looking at a bowl of potato fries.

For purposes of this series, we will be using résumé[1] and curriculum vitae[2] (CV), interchangeably.

A CV with a ‘for everyone’ cover letter = junk mail
A CV without a cover letter = waste paper.
Imagine the fate of hundreds of direct mailers that you pick from the mailbox. Do they ever get into your door? In all probability, they would have hit the trash somewhere between the mailboxes to the door. In Singapore, where I live, they have a trashcan next to the mailboxes in most apartments and that makes thrash-ing a bit easier.
Most – 99.2% – of the CVs go straight from Inbox to Trash. Now a days, I hear that some companies have developed some amazing software code that helps them generate a nice sounding rejection letter before moving to trash. Most of the CVs however are ignored.
To elucidate this, imagine this – how do you react when a salesperson knocks at your door without an appointment? Would you have ever bought a dime of insurance policy from someone who just barged into your office or home without an appointment? Cold calling, as they are called have very extremely low success rates. The customer may just not need for the product, they may be too busy to talk, or better still, they may just be watching their favorite soccer match for the 11^th time.
You are the product and your CV is your brochure. Super sales people never send a brochure before meeting with a prospective customer. They know that sales brochures (in some cases, I have seen twenty-page proposals) sent prior to needs analysis is irrelevant, off target and often unread.
Super sales people send brochure after the first meeting or bring it with them on follow-up calls. If the brochure is not completely customized to the customer’s needs, the sales person highlights the product benefits that will have the highest chance of solving the customer’s problems.
Super sales people create interest in their products and use the brochures to re-affirm and to leave a lasting impression of the product or the meeting.
Why are we saying all this – You may just follow what super sales people do and make your CV behave like a Velcro. That happens only after customer reads it after talking to you, hearing about you, or meeting you. This is particularly true if you have interviewed or spoken to the hiring manager. Your CV will be able to deliver to the ‘needs’
Turn junk mail into a money mail. Do not send a CV without proper preparation. If possible, deliver your CV in person. Present your CV. Follow-up with your CV that meets the needs.
Best-of-luck!

[1] Wikipedia defines CV thus – A curriculum vitae (CV) provides an overview of a person’s life and qualifications. The CV is typically the first item that a potential employer encounters regarding the job seeker and is typically used to screen applicants, often followed by an interview, when seeking employment.
[2] Wikipedia defines a resume thus: A résumé (French pronunciation: [ʁezyme]) is a document that contains a summary of relevant job experience and education for specific employment search. The résumé is typically the first item that a potential employer encounters regarding the job seeker and is typically used to screen applicants, often followed by an interview, when seeking employment. The résumé is comparable to a curriculum vitae in many countries, although in Canada and United States it is substantially different.