Specialists and support staff - hurrah!

A few thoughts on specialists and specialisation in general. In education there seems to be a growing buzz around multi-disciplinary practice and a breadth of study, I myself have chosen this route and if the growing talks of introducing the baccalaureate as a more general system in our secondary schools it seems that a lot of the country will be moving away from the more specialised systems we've used previously. Great. Some people enjoy this method, and indeed getting a broad base from which to grow is almost certainly an excellent thing. But I think it's fantastic to specialise too. I've been fortunate to meet with a great many talented people who are highly specialised, from an expert in all things balloon related (the rubber rather than hot air type) last week on a job, to an adhesives engineer I had an interview with last year. These are the people we go to make our ideas work, and though there's a lot to be said for the theory that one can become an expert in anything in 6 months (as Dyson said I believe) there's nothing wrong with making use of someone whose passion is that field of expertise. Not that I've heard anything to the contrary recently, but it seems seldom is this focus applauded as a valid route. I love touching on many different areas of my work, but nearly none of it could come into fruition without the input of individuals and groups who spend their lives dedicated to the pursuit of perfection in a distinct discipline.

On a vaguely related point, I'm coming more and more to appreciate the value of support staff the more I move towards leaving my period in education. From the fabulous IT technician on my course, to the patient and friendly team at the school where I'm working these people have the power to make work flow smoothly. On my course, the technician's input has often been that which has proven pivotal to the development of a project. When I was on placements at the BBC Visual effects department the people working in workshops taught me lots, but it was the security guards at the gate and their thoughtfulness every morning that got each day off to a positive start. Just as in family life, having the best support is the surest route to success.