Jack of all trades, master of none.

The above figure of speech refers to someone competent in numerous disciplines, and was used as a term of praise when it was first coined as just “Jack of all trades”. The second part was added later, which gave the expression its negative connotation. There is also apparently a second line to it, which revives the original positive meaning:

Jack of all trades, master of none,
Certainly better than a master of one.

Reference: Wikipedia

I am not here to state whether being a generalist, or a specialist, is better. It depends on the environment and its demand. In a large company, for example in a factory, each person’s job covers only a specific part of the assembly line, and there is a tendency for workers to become specialists. However, in a smaller company, with its limited human resources, there is a necessity for each person to take up multiple responsibilities – often ending up as generalists. The point I want to make here is that even for a jack of all trades, a certain quality is expected of his work, or he won’t even make it to become a “jack” in the first place.

Below are three rules to stick to when striving to become a jack of all trades:
1. Master the basics of each skill – and remember them! – before moving on to the next thing.
2. Read available/provided documents – and understand them! Use Google, or whatever search engine of your preference, if there are none available. If your knowledge is not enough for a particular work, your colleagues (especially specialists) will run out of patience answering basic questions all the time when the answers are easily available elsewhere.
3. Work responsibly. This third rule is the most important, and applies to everyone – including generalists and specialists.
i) Make clear what is expected of you; ask if unsure.
ii) Make sure to keep to the deadline; or report if you are busy with your other “trades” and won’t be able to finish on time.
iii) Keep to your words; if you say that you will do something by a certain date, you better do it.
iv) Don’t make excuses. There is a difference between giving a reason and making an excuse, and if you can’t differentiate between the two, keep your mouth shut.
v) Abide by the rules of your workplace. Duh.

Ying Tong (a master of two envious of jacks of all trades, and exasperated at those who can’t do #3)