The Enduring (and Increasing) Value of T-Shaped Individuals and Organizations
Though it’s an idea that’s been around since the 1990s, I first came across the concept of T-Shaped individuals and organizations a few years ago, and immediately connected with it.
It’s such a simple notion, and fairly obvious once you see it, but it’s an enduring analogy for good reason—and one that many organizations return to as they develop and mature.
T-Shaped individuals and organizations are those who have deep expertise in one particular field (the vertical line of the T) as well as a broad understanding and ability to collaborate across multiple disciplines (the horizontal line of the T).
They stand in contrast to I-Shaped individuals and organizations, who focus solely on developing deep expertise in one area at the expense of all the others.
I-Shaped individuals and organizations excel in their specific domain but often struggle to collaborate effectively or adapt to rapidly changing circumstances.
(To be fair, this sort of hyper-specialization is sometimes the right thing to do and can lead to competitive advantages. However, it can also lead to stagnation, since innovation is most often found by pushing beyond what you know really well and into what you don’t know hardly at all.)
Thrive is a T-Shaped agency.
We have a depth of expertise in strategy and a breadth of expertise in branding and marketing. When we hire, or when we bring on individual practitioners to work on projects with specific needs, we hire T-Shaped individuals.
We might bring on a designer with a depth of expertise in UX design (the vertical line) and a broad understanding of disciplines like coding and copywriting (the horizontal line).
Or we might bring on a brand strategist with a depth of expertise in brand strategy and a breadth of expertise in business strategy and user experience.
In both of these cases, it’s their knowledge and understanding of their non-primary disciplines that allows them to create and collaborate in a much more inclusive, effective way.
The T-Shaped UX designer can consider the full user experience, not just the visual design. They can also understand how the design will be implemented in code and how the copy will influence the user’s journey.
This holistic approach results in more seamless and effective user experiences, which, in turn, contributes to Thrive’s organizational T-Shape.
Similarly, the T-Shaped brand strategist can approach brand challenges comprehensively, considering not just the brand narrative, but also how it aligns with business objectives and shapes user experiences.
They can collaborate effectively with professionals from a client’s marketing, design, and UX teams, providing valuable insights that span multiple domains, resulting in more cohesive and impactful brand strategies that drive business growth, differentiate from competitors, and resonate with target audiences.
As an individual contributor to the work we do at Thrive, my own T-Shape translates to a depth of expertise in writing and a breadth of expertise in strategy and marketing.
I’ve found this T-Shape to be particularly useful because both strategy and marketing require a deep and abiding understanding of narrative and communication. Additionally, both strategy and marketing are forms of storytelling.
And who better to tell a story than a writer literally trained in the craft?
Over the years, my T-Shape has continued to grow, too, as my horizontal line extends to technology, GenAI, and product strategy.
My vertical line continues to grow as well, since writing—business articles, essays, prose poetry, fiction—is a rewarding and lifelong pursuit.
This means that my T keeps getting bigger, making me more adept at fielding the never-ending challenges of a rapidly changing business landscape.
So, as you think about your own organization, consider your shape.
Are you siloed, like an I-Shaped organization, or are you T-Shaped, like Apple and Google and Tesla and Thrive?
And once you’re done with that, consider yourself—and figure out your T.
