Vertical expertise and horizontal exposure – Need of the day!

“Jack of all, and master of none.” Is this holding good now? Is it not “Jack of all, and master of one.”

Yes, vertical expertise and horizontal exposure are the need of the day! What do you say?

When I was schooling, during one of the summer holidays, maybe the 9^th or 10^th standard holidays, I asked my mother to permit me to join the typewriting class. In those days knowing typewriting was a fantasy. I was going to a tailoring class also during that time. In those days, improving our skill set meant learning to stitch, typewriting, and cooking only. Right?

As I was going to tailoring class already, she advised that if I did two or more things at a time I would not excel in any of those, quoting “Jack of all, and master of none”.  

Does this hold good now, “Jack of all, and master of none” in this competitive world? We are moving to an interdisciplinary world where having expertise in one field or mastering one particular skill is not going to help us. 

Now, it is required for us to have vertical expertise and horizontal exposure! Yes, we need to be an expert in the field of our interest and at the same time, we are expected to have wide exposure to all other disciplines as well. What do you think?

So long as you can put yourself in a situation where your current skill levels match the skill levels required of you or are stretched a little bit by the skill levels required, you will get a flow-like experience. It is like yoga, you need to stretch beyond your comfort level. This is essential for any successful person.

The Japanese people have always loved fresh fish. However the water close to Japan has not held many fish for decades due to some environmental reasons. So to feed the Japanese population, fishing boats got bigger and went farther than ever. The further the fishermen went inside the sea, the longer it took them to bring the fish. 

If the return trip took more time, the fish were not fresh. To solve this problem, fish companies installed freezers on their boats. The idea was they would catch the fish and freeze them at sea. Freezers allowed the boats to go farther and stay longer. However, the Japanese people could find the taste  difference between fresh and frozen fish. They did not like the taste of frozen ones. So, the fishing companies could get only a lower profit. 

They had brainstorming discussions and finally decided to install fish tanks, and freshwater tanks in their boats. They catch the fish and stuff them in the tanks, fin to fin. After a little thrashing around, they were tired, dull, and lost their fresh taste. The fishing industry faced an impending crisis!

But today, they brought fresh-tasting fish to Japan. How did they manage…?     Any guesses?

To keep the fish tasting fresh, the Japanese fishing companies still put the fish in the same kind of tanks only, but with a small shark. The fish are challenged and hence are constantly on the move. The challenge they face keeps them alive and fresh!

Have you realized that some of us are also living in a pond but most of the time tired and dull….? Basically in our lives, sharks are new targets/goals to keep us active. If you are steadily achieving your targets, you are happy. Your challenges in achieving your goal keep you energized. Don’t create Success and revel in it in a state of inertia. You have the resources, skills, and abilities to make a difference.

 Put a shark in your tank now and see how far you can really go….

Set a target, work towards it, and achieve it! Then go further to set another target.. 

Improve your skill set! Enhance your knowledge to have an edge over the others. 

Usually, this anecdote is used to represent challenges and difficulties as the forces that keep us active and energetic. I have here interpreted the sharks as voluntary targets and goals that we assign to ourselves, not just to stay energetic and alive but to grow and improve – to become better than the best. 

Enhance your skill set, stand above the crowd, and live a wonderful life! Achieve abundance !