Strategy. Innovation. And "T" Shaped People.

David Armano is a creative director and the person behind the Logic+Emotion blog, for which I subscribe. On his personal webpage is an article called "Are You T Shaped?" In it he points to a great FastCompany article authored by Tim Brown, President and CEO of IDEO. In this article, Brown says that in order to do a better job of developing, communicating, and pursuing a strategy, you need to learn to think like a designer.
( See: FastCompany, Issue 95 | By: Tim Brown, President/CEO - IDEO )

Armano then asks...

What does this mean to traditional teams of specialists such as Art Directors & Copywriters, Information Architects and Creative Directors such as myself? It means the days of being a specialist are over. Not to be confused with a "jack of all trades" – T-shaped people have a core competency, but can easily branch out. And they possess curiosity, empathy and aren't afraid to ask "why". So what are the signs of a T-shaped person? Look for experimentation in their background. Have they worked in different areas of expertise? Have they experienced different mediums? Are they willing to place themselves in the shoes of others and throw pre-conceived notions out the window? Do they step out of comfort zones on a regular basis? Do they occasionally make you nervous? If so, you might have one on your team.

I've benefited by David's thinking immensely. When you consider his original article is from early September 2005, you can see why he's truly a thought leader. I recommend you follow the links below to view his personal site and the Logic+Emotion blog for more great insights.

( via davidarmano.com | Logic+Emotion Blog )