Pat’s Point of View

One stop shop, one size fits all, one man band, Jack of all trades, great all-rounder—you’ve heard them all before. For some reason we seem to be obsessed with trying to be everything to everyone.

This results in trying to please everybody but catering for none. It’s better to have a strongly defined objective and strive to achieve that.

I used to think I was (or wanted to be) a one-stop-shop. I came from a technical background, so I had a good handle on technology, science etc. I have a fairly good eye for design (or perhaps it’s a passion with zero eye) and I have worked with excellent creative people. I’ve had my turn at team leadership and management; another feather in that cap! Most recently I’ve gotten into this whole user centred, ethical design thing. It becomes easy to gravitate towards the one-man-band trap.

What I’ve discovered is that having a good understanding and appreciation for a variety of fields and being able to interface with multiple disciplines is not the same thing as being able to do it all. There’s a reason why Jack of all trades is usually followed swiftly by and master of none. Like paint, if you spread yourself too thin (I’m just bursting with these sayings today) you’ll never cover anything properly, but worse you don’t have time to concentrate on, and grow in, a particular direction. You’ll keep going around in circles, because a circle is the only true all-rounder.

This isn’t a deflated ego talking, I’ve just realised that a lack of focus is a recipe for mediocrity. One stop shop is the goal you have when you’re not having a goal.

Now for a cunning metaphorical transition. What I’ve described doesn’t just apply to one’s career, it applies equally to things like websites and intranets too; if you try to create an intranet that is a one stop shop you’ll end up with something that doesn’t actually meet anybody’s needs and so they stop using it before long.

So what? you might be asking yourself, well, don’t be mediocre, focus on what you want to achieve and become immersed in it. Learn it, live it. I’ve been narrowing my horizons over recent years, and specialising. It’s a relief to have some clarity. OK, life coaching session over.

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