ACCORDING TO JIM / RANGE

There are few things that I enjoy more than reading a thought-provoking book that attempts to shift a well-established standard. I especially enjoy it when members of my staff happen to read the same book, take diametrically opposing viewpoints, and debate each idea a la Buckley vs. Vidal. So as a bonus to my take on this N.Y. Times best seller, read on to see my staffers argue their perspective.
~ J.O.

JAMES ODDO

Having recently read and enjoyed David Epstein's first book, “The Sports Gene,” I was eager to dive into his highly acclaimed second work, “Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World”.  But my enthusiasm was tempered with some concern about what I was about to read, given the rather lineal projection of my own career. 
 
After all, wasn't I a "specialist" by having worked in public service for nearly three decades?

“Range” examines the varying routes to excellence and concludes that sampling many things at first - and specializing later on - yields the most productive outcomes. "The most successful experts also belong to the wider world," writes Epstein. 
 
While reading this fascinating book I realized that I can make the case that I am actually a generalist. Dealing with the public and the kaleidoscopic array of challenges they – and, in turn, government - encounter, has resulted in a heightened sense of the world around me, and helped to hone a skill set with breadth and depth that goes well beyond an encyclopedic understanding of the workings of New York City government.

Happily, I would argue I have become the quintessential "T" shaped person that Epstein discusses, the horizontal bar representing the ability to work “across” different disciplines. We need to get this book into the hands of parents, grandparents, coaches, educators, and young people, so they can evaluate Epstein’s assertions and make fully informed choices. 
 
Instead of the typical nonsensical “debates” we see these days on cable news and social media, let’s have a dialogue on this one.  Even a feisty argument will yield something good in this instance.

FRANK SANTARPIA

When I went to Brooklyn Tech my fellow students and I had the option of specializing in one of a variety of technical fields, or, for those not wishing choose a “major,” opting for a course of study simply called College Prep.  I chose Aeronautical Engineering.  David Epstein, the author of “Range,” would have counselled me to take the more generalized College Prep, and would have extended that advice – to generalize - during my four years in college.
 
He cites many examples of people who played the field, so to speak, for some part of their post-degree adulthood – generalized as opposed to specialized – until they happened upon the area in which they were destined for success.  Hence the sub-title of his book: “Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World.”  Epstein works very hard to make this point, but in the end leaves me unconvinced. Specialization is where it’s at, as far as I’m concerned – at least it is for the vast majority of those who want to actually earn a living when they enter the real world.

I am speaking from experience, because I left the study of engineering and opted to major at something called “Communication Arts” at Fordham University.  I graduated, married a year later, found no jobs in my chosen field (and I use that term loosely) and went to work loading trucks so that we could put food on the table every night.  I’m not complaining; it gave me an entirely different perspective on life, and prompted my entry into entrepreneurship, where, through a combination of hard work, long hours, and much luck, I did very well.
 
Experience, and gut instinct, tells me that specialization in education leads to a better career post-graduation, despite Epstein’s best efforts to convince me otherwise.  To me, the time to generalize, to play the field, to learn and explore other disciplines, is AFTER you are established and financially comfortable in your chosen field.

To conclude, I would not recommend to my children or grandchildren that they follow the advice offered in “Range.” I think it’s simply too risky.​​

Frank Santarpia, 68, is the Senior Advisor to Borough President Oddo. An entrepreneur until his retirement in 2007, he became involved with politics in 2009 and was employed by then-Councilman Oddo in 2011.  At Borough Hall, Frank does a great deal of research and writing, and is involved in various areas of policy.

ISAAC GORODETSKI

Settle on a field. Select a lucrative occupation. Double down early, study hard, and practice incessantly to get a head start on the competition. Don’t veer from the path under any circumstance—it’s too late to switch anyway. Achieve mastery and live a great, prosperous life.  
 
For those like me, who immigrated to the U.S. as a child, this formula, or some variation of it, is often presented as a treasure map to the American Dream. At the dinner table, almost daily, my parents preached early specialization, deliberate practice, and unwavering commitment. They presented anecdote after anecdote: a friend’s daughter who graduated college a year early and is on track to become a periodontist, a neighbor’s son who was awarded an athletic scholarship at fifteen years old, a random college-aged stranger at the bus stop who builds robots for a NASA contractor, and so on.

Of course, immigrant parents aren’t the only disciples of the “specialize early” dogma. Career service departments at universities, self-help gurus, and leaders across competitive industries, from sports to music to the trades to the sciences, spread the gospel of focusing exclusively on one career track as early as possible—and deliberately practicing the relevant skillset necessary to become elite. They invoke scientific research, surveys, and case studies of luminaries like Tiger Woods, Bill Gates, and the Beatles to support their philosophy. 
 
For decades, the prevailing wisdom of early and hyper specialization went unchallenged. That is until David Epstein, in his best-seller “Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World,” catalogued an abundance of evidence and research that cuts against the grain. Taken together, Epstein’s findings point to breadth, interdisciplinary thinking, and delayed specialization as the surest approach to success in any field—especially for complicated occupations that present unique, diverse, and complex problems to solve e.g. financial analysts, oncologists, military officers, etc.

So, if you need some substantive ammunition to push back against the pressure to make a life-defining career decision before you have any idea what you’d like to do, give Range a read. In the meantime, you can start by following Dr. Arturo Casadevall’s advice, as quoted by Epstein, “read outside your field, everyday something.”

Isaac Gorodetski is the Director of Public Policy and Counsel at the Office of the Staten Island Borough President.

SEPTEMBER 13, 2019

The BP and members of his staff discuss the book, "Range" by David Epstein
September 13, 2019

"Your principal moral obligation as a leader is to develop the skillset, 'soft' and 'hard,' of every one of the people in your charge ... to the maximum extent of your abilities.” -- Tom Peters, best-selling author and acclaimed management guru

I have admired Tom Peters since reading his book, “The Excellence Dividend.” His definition of leadership, his management principals, and his common sense approach to life have been go-to resources that I tap into time and again in my capacities both personal and professional. I believe he has made me a better leader and better person.

I was immediately struck by Tom’s belief in the MORAL obligation that leaders have. He is unwavering in his belief that they must do as much as possible to lift, guide and teach, at every turn, those who work on their behalf.

Let that sink in for a bit.

I’m proud to say that we have embraced this mindset in our workplace here at Borough Hall. Toward that end, we recently had several members of our team take part in a discussion of David Epstein’s best-selling book “Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World.” We have previously discussed “Range” on this page, and I wanted to use the book as a jump-off point to talk with those staffers who are still in the relatively early stages of their careers.

I recognized a genuine value in having them hear the "specialist vs. generalist" discussion that Frank Santarpia, Isaac Gorodetski and I were having after reading the book. Conversely, it was illuminating for all of us to hear the stories and lessons these talented women and men have already encountered in their relatively brief careers. As typically happens when we engage the younger members of our team, we “elders” learned as much as we had thought to impart in them.

We share this with you in the continued hope that we might instigate conversations about the various paths to excellence one might take, wherein the young(er) and old(er) speak, share experiences, and benefit from each other’s story. We sincerely believe that you and your team might benefit from Tom Peter’s principal of moral obligation.

And lastly, we repeat the sentiment we have previously uttered in so many different ways, and that is this: less energy expended on the “outrages” of the day, and more energy focused on intelligent dialogue and discussion, will certainly lift all boats.