Which is which? To be a generalist and well-rounded person with versatile and adaptable skills or to be an expert in one specific thing and is really good at it? It is a conundrum, isn’t it?
But even though it is highly applauded to be versatile and adept at many things yet there are cases and instances when being an expert is better than being a versatile individual. In what case? Especially, in a case of dealing with human life. For example, an expert in engineering cannot claim he/she is an expert in psychological disorders. To know the differences between one psychological disorder are not easy because there might be similar symptoms of one psychological disorder with another. For example, layman might use to the term “depression”. Depression is a symptom of various mood disorders. Meaning a person who is depressed could be diagnosed as a person with depressive disorders or bipolar disorders or obsessive compulsive disorders (just a few examples). So, in each different mood disorders, there are many symptoms that might be similar to another psychological disorders such as anxiety disorders.
When a friend approached me to be her supervisor, I asked her about her research interest. When she told me that she wants to do something related to management disaster (which has nothing to do with school or education in specific), I told her that she better searches potential supervisors from School of Human Resource Development and Psychology, not School of Education even though both schools are under the same faculty, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities. She sounded worried because she is hoping that I could be her supervisor. I told her, as much I wish that I could have her as my supervisee, but I firmly asserted that I am not an expert in management research or human resources. A simple google of Journal of Management Studies would point out school/faculty of human resources and management or industrial and organisational psychology (I/O psychology). I would never think that I would do any research and later on publish in such journal. Never in my dream. Even though education is still considered as humanities or some considered it as social science, yet it is different from I/O psychology.
In addition, earlier on when she asked me if I can help with the analysis of her project, I was thinking that she has the data already. When I asked further, apparently she is planning to collect the data and thinking about the instrument/tool to collect the data. Well, data analysis is still a long way to go because there is no data yet at this point. Man, this thing could take years to complete. Indeed. It is not easy but it is worth the trouble.
While writing this post, I received a message from her (she was in a meeting with the Dean of Faculty of Science, Prof Dr Abdul Rahim about management disaster). Around 12pm, the meeting ended and I sent her back. I asked what were the things they discussed if it is not confidential. Well, because it is confidential, she only said that they were discussing about technical stuff on disaster management. Some of the things discussed are over her head. Jokingly I replied “It would be disastrous if I am your supervisor because I am not an expert in disaster management. Instead of helping you to understand how people management disaster, you will become the disaster yourself“. LOL 😀
