range

This book refutes the "deliberate practice" framework and the "10,000 hours" rule for success that have been popular for the past decade or so. The principle holds that "10,000 hours" of "deliberate practice" are needed to become world-class in any field.

This framework is especially valued in individualistic activities such as athletics (golf), music (classical instruments), non-sport activities (chess) and medicine (surgeons). The author defines these as "kind" learning environments where the rules are relatively simple and known, and there is a close relationship between effort and outcome. Most real-world activities, however, involve "wicked" learning environments where spontaneity and unpredictability are present and experience doesn’t necessarily correlate with success.

As artificial intelligence continues to infiltrate modern society, we encounter Moravec's paradox where machines and humans frequently have opposite strengths and weaknesses. Might we be better served if we let machines take on more of the "kind" learning roles? They can be programmed to successfully complete repetitive tasks where the rules are relatively simple and well-documented. For example, computers can now regularly defeat humans at chess.

This brings us to "range." The greatest strength of humans is the exact opposite of narrow specialization in kind environments. Rather, it is the ability to integrate broadly. Range is cultivating a more diverse experience across multiple fields.

The author shares a wide variety of stories, interviews, research studies and anecdotes to support the value of developing range. My favorite story comes from a Harvard Business School case study called Carter Racing. In this study a small group of classmates are assigned the task of determining whether or not their team's car should compete in the biggest race of the season given a few basic facts about the car's performance history.

The bottom line is that we live in a world that is both "kind" and "wicked." To succeed in this world we need a diverse group of both specialists and generalists. <strong>Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World</strong> is one of 10 entries determined to be the <strong><a href="https://beantownweb.blogspot.com/2020/06/best-business-books-2019.html" target="_blank">Best Business Books of 2019</a>.</strong>

Access Gene Babon's reviews of books on <strong>Business Leadership</strong> and <strong>Business Strategy</strong> at <strong><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/webapprentices/" target="_blank">Pinterest</a>.</strong>