T-Shaped + Sun-Shaped People

As you probably already know—I'm a big fan of the "T-shaped" mindset.  So much so, that I dedicated the notion of it on my personal Website.  The first time I read about this was in an Article in Fast Company written by IDEO's Tim Brown.  The article is called "Strategy By Design".  It's a must read.  Here's a snippet of how Tim describes a "T-Shaped" individual. 

"We look for people who are so inquisitive about the world that they're willing to try to do what you do. We call them "T-shaped people." They have a principal skill that describes the vertical leg of the T -- they're mechanical engineers or industrial designers. But they are so empathetic that they can branch out into other skills, such as anthropology, and do them as well. They are able to explore insights from many different perspectives and recognize patterns of behavior that point to a universal human need. That's what you're after at this point -- patterns that yield ideas."

This notion instantly connected with me.  I approach creativity as a "generalist"—blending skills in multiple areas.  Recently I thought about what my "T" would look like if I visualized it.  I put my "principal skill" in the vertical leg as "design".  I've always been one kind of designer or another.  Then I put my "branches" in the areas of brand strategy and user experience.  These seemed to be the best labels I could come up with regarding how I approach my work (or at least try to).

But lately I've been wondering—is there another way to look at this?  What if we took a more basic human truth.  Most of us have some kind of passion in a specific area.  For some—it's a hobby or interest.  For others, it's directly related to our work.  I fall into the latter category.  If you were to ask me what my "passion is"—I would probably say that at the core, it's creative problem solving.  This is pretty broad and incorporates a lot of disciplines that can relate to it.  But that's the point.  What if we start with our passions regardless of discipline, and look at the skills which radiate out from it the same way we think about how rays from the sun radiate warmth?

Does this make us "Sun-shaped people"?

OK, I know I'm getting a bit literal here.  And I'm not proposing another way to bucket ourselves.  But it was interesting to try this.  Once I started doing the second visual here—when I began with my core passion vs. competency, it was easy for the "rays" to flow out from the center.  I learned something about myself while doing this.  More importantly it makes me think about the bigger implications of being a "passionate professional".  I wonder how individuals like this fare in risk-averse corporate settings where the focus is primarily "the bottom line".  Most corporations will tell you that they want passionate people who think differently.  But what happens when they get one?  What do they do with these types of individuals?

How does a company like Google operate behind the scenes?  I don't know since I don't work there, but I wonder if it's different from companies who seem to be averse to taking risks and experimenting.  And who are the Sun-shaped people out there anyway?  Are they designers?  Are they businesspeople?  Are they entrepreneurs?  Are they the ones doing all the "2.0" stuff out there?

Labels.  It's a double edged sword.  Who is a designer exclusively these days anyway?  Who is an "Ad guy/gal"?  Who's still making widgets? (in the economic sense)  Are you?  Call it T-shaped—call it Sun-shaped.  How has your job description changed in the past 6 years?  I hear a lot about information Architects doing storyboards and incorporating storytelling into the process—I don't remember this 7 or 8 years ago.  I see Art Directors concerned about usability.  I see designers writing.  I see Planners being part of the creative process—part of the solutions.

I don't see this all the time—but I often wonder if we'll be seeing this more or less frequently in the years to come.  What is your job title anyway?  Can you narrow it down to one thing?  One thing that I like about the Sun-shaped model is that, metaphorically speaking—it's about shining and radiating.  It's about sharing warmth vs. keeping it to yourself.  And like the actual Sun, people—just like planets tend to gather 'round it.

Food for thought.   

Comments

[alyssa]

David - I think your entry makes a compelling argument about flexibility. (I could even extend it and say it is a great argument for the benefits of a liberal arts education.)

We start in one place and things change, we adapt and we do new things. Your career path (as well as mine) are good evidence of these things. Ten years ago did you think you'd be where you are now?

It's all about transference - the skills you learn in one world are applicable in others.

[DA]

Lyss,

That's a great point. I've worked in print, interactive, broadcast, b2b, b2c and interactive projects ranging from complex site development to online advertising. I think all of these experiences feed into what I do now.

And my passion has always remained the same (more or less). For me personall—I keep adding "rays".

I like your thought about transference.

[Valeria Maltoni]

The other way of looking at this is where exactly your passion fits in the continuum *and* evolution of work.

We flow (read: growth, mature, experience) and the work flows. It's the intersection of those two flows that creates the space or the conversation.

So if I look at it from a personal perspective, the place of fit for me is in making the transaction from idea to deal. Whatever that may mean: idea to article; product to sale; person to project, etc. Thus new jobs and titles flow from this dynamic relationship.

[Gavin Heaton]

Great post, DA! Let's face it, 'managing' creatives is a challenge -- sure you want them in your team, but do they 'fit' within your organisation? And is your organisation able to deal with the disruption that comes along with creative workers -- because they WILL disrupt the existing structures.

I dont think it is just about job title -- perhaps more to do with job descriptions. How well does your job description match your title? Are there areas of passion that constantly draw you outside of your prescribed areas of work responsibility? What happens when you tread on someone else's toes? Sorry, will stop now that I am getting all ranty ;)

[Justin Kownacki]

What I like best about the sun analogy is that it applies in multiple dimensions. Those rays don't just extend from a passionate center on a flate plane; they radiate in all directions -- at you, at me, at the present and at the future...

You never know what your impact will be, because something you think is moving in one direction can actually cause a huge change in what you thought was a completely unrelated area.

Unpredictability is the spice of life.

[Mark McGuinness]

I love this - builds really nicely on the T-shaped idea. I'm not a mathematician but would guess you can build a more complex (richer) network with sun/star shapes than with t-shapes?

Another thing that makes me think you're onto something is it only took me a few moments to sketch out my own 'sun' of passion and competencies. Unfortunately 'design' wasn't one of the rays coming out of it, so it might take a bit longer to turn it into a graphic for posting...

[Peter Flaschner]

David, when I saw your t-shape graphic, it reminded me of an article I read that discussed the difference between specialists and generalists.

Specialists, the article described, have skills that are narrow and deep. While a generalist's skills are broad and wide.

Specialists were more valuable in the age leading up till today. Generalists have suddenly become extremely valuable because of their ability to take elements of different disciplines

The article made the argument that specialists had their day in the tech boom, and that it's now up to the generalists to synthesize culture and technology.

[David Armano]

Mark,

I planned on doing a follow up post showing how multiple sun-shaped people work together. Not too far off from what you described.

Peter, good points. It's important to remember that both models can go deep in certain areas—but definitely rely on tapping the mixed skillsets to achieve their objectives. This also helps inform decisions when working with others.

[Greg Johnson]

Very interesting post, grounded in something we all feel: we all want to work with people who share our passion, even moreso than people who share our skillsets. I like the approach that IDEO, Naked and a handful of other agencies have taken of looking at potential hires more in terms of their intangibles (intuition, ethics, passion and smarts) than their labels ("I was called an art director at my last job, so I'll definitely be a GREAT hire at your agency|shop|firm|office").

Hmmm...the T-shaped idea is really about complementing skills to work and communicate effectively, but the sun-shaped is about building a great team. There may even be a way to combine the two?

[davidicus]

"T-shaped" or multi-disciplined employees aren't really a special breed; everyone has a number of skills. they're currently the vanguard of a revolution, though. it's the first glimpse at a larger trend. organisations are getting more organic, less vertical, (more creative?). people can naturally expand into a variety of directions. it's not surprising that the organisations with the most creative cultures and mandates are the first to embrace these people. also, creative individuals are the most likely to be able to make productive use of their diverse interests in a work setting.

[Raimo van der Klein]

We will see it MORE.. The age of the connected. The creative. A human centric society. Adhocracy. Purpose driven. Wishfulfilling individuals. Self actualization. Intrinisic values. Naked and raw passion..

[makethelogobigger]

I like the idea, but more importantly though, how will agencies seek out this type of person. Especially when HR would surely not know how to look out for them. Even after all this time, HR is barely able to ask relevent questions of creatives in an interview situation, let alone a forward thinking idea such as the T-Shaped person.

[makethelogobigger]

(relevant)

[DA]

@ logo, maybe it's time for "recruiting 2.0"? :-)

[Graham Hill]

David

Another great post. And an interesting topic too.

What sometimes suprises me is how old ideas take on a new life, sometimes with new authorship! And T-shaped people is an old idea. I remember discussing it almost 10 years ago at the management consultancy I worked for prior to interviewing experienced candidates. We were looking for people with a broad experience of business but with deep knowledge, skills and experience in a particular areaa (customer management in this case). Having said that, T-shaped people is a much nicer moniker that will help the meme move faster.

Michael Mauboussin writes about the importance of the broad knowledge of T-shaped people when faced with new situations, in a recent commentary - http://www.leggmason.com/funds/knowledge/mauboussin/DiverseThinking.pdf - on The Importance of Diverse Thinking.

Just as important as having T-shaped people is having an organisation that knows how to use them. In my experience of organisation development, most organisations do not really know how to cope with the broad knowledge, different perspective and obvious creativity of T-shaped people. Such people do not easily fit into the departmental, hierarchical, C&C structures used by most organisations. The management consultancy I mentioned earlier couldn't organisationally cope with real T-shaped people, for example, despite actively recruiting them!

Obviously IDEO and others have, by the nature of their business model, cracked this particular nut. I would be interested to see how other companies are coping and what sort of hybrid-organisatiuon structures they use.

Graham Hill
Independent CRM Consultant
Interim CRM manager

[Adam]

I think you've just described the perfect entrepreneur and the most boring kind of employee.

This world belongs to people who can CREATE new problems THEN solve them.

Problem-solvers are ten-a-penny; slaves to the brief; the existing business model; and ultimately, the bottom line.

If you find anyone with all of those skills have mercy on their little creative souls and FUND them, DON'T employ them!

PS.

You've clearly forgotten:

KNOWLEDGE + EXPERIENCE = SHIT!

;^)

Bookmarked under: cv, career, advice

[joeG]

Awesome lines of thinking from all. As i read through each comment i began to seek "my" interpretation of what i could classify myself. (photographer/producer/HD dp,entrepreneur... etc).
The T shaped person is a great concept straight up! The ray theory is a great improvement (with the obvious stated limitations as well HR doesn't have sunglasses to handle a "real" shining sun). I don't even play golf but a ball on a T..... hey... there u go.

I'm like a "golf ball on a Tee" type. My core competence (photography) is the spike on the tee. My acquired skills (video, production, scouting, locations etc.) form the cradle on the top of the tee which supports the ball. The ball is where my chi emanates..... my additional acquired skills which are not necessarily related but very much an integral part of my experience. One could go into the inner construction.... or how the ball is ready (and capable) to be "shot" as far or as hard as needed to reach the hole (goal).

Thanks for the great thread & genius commentary!

-jG

[Katie Chatfield]

I love the idea of creative people being brought together by passion and shining their light on brands!
Sunlight can make a thousand flowers bloom- with the bands benefits as the seeds.
Thanks David.

[DA]

Graham,

Thanks for adding the perspective of old ideas moving forward with new life. I think that's a universal truth.

Joe, your "golf ball on "T" is really interesting. What a different way to look at this!

Katie, as you can tell—I had some fun with this. I'm glad you like the metaphor and took it further.

[Adam Kayce : Monk At Work]

This is a great metaphor, David. I love it.

One of the things I teach about is the clarity that comes in your business when you're clear about your heart's message — the core level of clarity about who you are, and what you love. Everything further is a product of that essential clarity.

And whaddya know — thirty minutes after I teach a teleclass about this, I come across your Sun-Shaped People concept. How synchronistically cool!

When I look at your Sun-shaped person, it just fits perfectly.

[Creston Parker]

Great discussion from everyone on t-shaped individuals of which I am definitely one, but I have a question regarding the term.
Q. Is the term widely known enough to mention it in a cover letter, or even in an interview?
I would love to have some opinions.
Thx,
Creston

[Bryan deBlois]

Great string of thoughts. I see a slight tendency to migrate from the original intention of "T-shaped". For me it's less about the "legs" you add and more about the energy and curiosity you devote to understanding the interrelationship of what you do and what others do. I have spent the last twenty-two years acting on a core belief that the more I know the more creative, and effective I become. My frustration with my ability to impact innovation as a specialist or "line function" professional motivated me to take roles across all the disciplines that I have inter-acted with because I felt I needed to know what "they knew", to see the way "they see" in order to create more opportunities for innovation. This often took me way out of my comfort zone. It has made me much more effective in organizing teams and creating strategies for innovation initiatives. When corporate recruiters asked me to sum up my career I used to say that I "cross-trained for innovation." Now thankfully, there is a recognized value in cross-training.

I think this is fundamentally different than adding legs that are natural extensions of a profession? Thoughts?

[Bryan deBlois]

I was just taking a break and I went out to my back deck. I was looking at a small flat pond an thinking about what I just posted. I have a follow on thought that visualizes the importance of "T-shaped" or "Sun-shaped" for me.

Take the artist and the practitioner. The artist creates a personal message. I am visualizing the artist as a stone dropped into a flat pond. The signal, or waves that radiate from that single interuption are clean and radiate out until they dissapate.

The practioner has to interract with many other practitioners, a system if you wish. Within an organization or system, the thinking that a practiioner brings collides with the thinking that other practioners bring, often resulting in conflict or "noise" to an otherwise clean signal. Think of a system, or team of practitioners as a handful of stones scattered onto a flat pond. The ripples radiating from each entry point of the stones collide with waves created by the other stones creating new resulting waves or signals and lots of "noise". Energy is absorbed and transmuted everwhere.

What if you could prepare a team to act as one string of stones dropped into the same spot? The power of the signal is greater and the waves are in harmony.

To me the real power of a "T-shaped" individual is the ability to organize a team to deliver it's power on the same center.

[Jake Yarbrough]

I'm arriving at this party late. My apologies.

And, instead of echoing the commenters from above about the post (which is extremely compelling), I wonder if I can take the focus from the individual level up to the organizational level. Not just how an organization taps into the perspective of the "Sun-Shaped" (or, "Solar") individual to create more effective teams, but to think about "Solar Organizations."

It would be disingenuous to reverse engineer a company to fit into this model. However, for those starting today, this is a phenomenal way to think about how to build an organization from the ground up.

There are several times a year when my company helps incubate a start-up. I am going to think about how to incorporate your concept (with full attribution, of course) into our planning discussions with these entrepreneurs.

Thanks for opening my eyes to this, David.