Management Myth # 1—Job Specification Improves Performance

When I left school as a “baby boomer,” my parents encouraged me to consider an occupation where I could specialize and so have job security. Their reasoning was well-intended, simple, but misguided: If you can find a niche where you can use a specialized set of skills, you can define a market segment for yourself. This line of thinking was predicated on the stable and relatively predictable, preglobalized marketplace. The logic of my parent’s argument no longer applies; the rules have fundamentally changed.