More than one talent? Don't be discouraged

We live in an era where inherited wisdom suggests that we can only be really good at singular things. The more diverse our talents, the more we are presumed to be fulfilling the questionable proverb: "Jack of all trades, master of none." 

Personally, I believe this to be false. While diversity can lead to dispersed and diffused impact, there are a great many undertakings that we engage in daily that require collections of skills and talents. I was very encouraged by this quote in the new Bob Dylan: The Drawn Blank Series book that I received from a thoughtful group of colleagues during a recent departure meal. Here's to the musical accountant, the poetic engineer, the artistic project manager.

“...it is only in recent times that the paramters of aesthetic reception have fundamentally changed and turned into their opposite. In the past, an artist who was many-sided and active in various cultural domains was considered as having an (almost innate) advantage, a bonus from his capcity to change and assimilate, whereas in the late 20th century the all-rounder and “touche-a-tout” was unable - completely unjustly - to shake off the reputation of a certain dilettantism. It is automatically assumed that an individual artist who is active in several “unlikely” fields cannot necessarily operate everywhere with the same earnestness, the same aspiration, the same quality. The dominant reactions are suspicion and scepticism. As consumers of culture, we are accustomed to artists who work exclusively in the visual, to musicians who exclusively sing, interpret or compose, to “writers only”, “sculptors only”, “actors only” - in brief, to exceptional people who strive for concentration and do not dissipate or waste their energy in different areas. The image of the artist with “several irons in the fire” automatically springs to mind.”

Jens Rosteck in Bob Dylan: The Drawn Blank Series (215)

Diversity and Common Purpose

A shot of Michelle and I on the upper North Saskatchewan in the cedar strip canoe I built - diverse functions, common direction.

How strong is your organizations creativity index? One indicator pair that you can think about is the diversity of your group as it relates to what you are trying to accomplish. People like Richard Florida have been telling us that, among other things, higher levels of tolerance for people who are different than we are accompanies cities and regions with higher creative output (which links to higher economic output, quality of life, and general health).

In my experience, I look at the strength of the common mission and the number of weird people who are meaningfully contributing to that mission. If you don't work in a place that is open to diversity - dress, lifestyle, work habits, personal space decorating, ideology - chances are the 'distinct and highly valuable' indicator gauge is near-empty. But a collection of diverse people doesn't equal top performance - attaining and holding a lead position requires that your eclectic crew is oriented to a deeply held common purpose. That isn't an easy combination to assemble or lead.