Generalists are specialists who learn faster

In an increasingly competitive world- you would think it pays to be the greatest in your field. To differentiate yourself from the pack you must be the smartest or the most focused- you must have specialization where the rest of the world has generalization. That is how you get ahead, right?

Wrong- actually. According to the data, generalists get paid more than specialists in nearly every industry and role. What data, you ask skeptically. Unfortunately, almost all of it. For example, this Harvard Business Review article evaluates compensation related research that Harvard assistant professor Jennifer Merluzzi conducted and trends found regarding specialist and generalist salaries. The following chart summarizes the research results:

What? Why?

🧐 It makes sense that you would want to hire someone who could do a bunch of stuff rather than just a few things but, in my experience, the most sought after individuals have always been the ones with a really extensive understanding of an industry or topic. It takes hundreds of hours of deep work to get to that level- so why would specialists not get paid more than generalists? I was in such dis belief…