In today’s rapidly changing labor market, the need for adaptable, creative and competent employees has never been greater. For many years, the model of a T-shaped competency profile has been the aspirational ideal. The T-shaped individual is a generalist with broad knowledge in many areas, while also having deep specialist knowledge in one area. It’s a strong and useful combination, but the world is evolving rapidly and the complexity of today’s challenges demands even more flexibility and versatility.
This is where a new type of competence profile comes into play: the Pi profile.
What is a T-profile?
A T-profile means that a person has broad knowledge in several areas but deep knowledge in a specific subject. This person can contribute insights at a general level and has the ability to see overall context, but when it comes to their area of expertise, they also have deep understanding and expertise.
Example:
A person who has broad knowledge of digital solutions, communication and company structure but deep specialist knowledge in technology. This individual can understand overall business strategies but will always see solutions and problems through their technical filter.
Although T-profiles are very valuable in organizations, there is a risk that their generalist perspective always relates back to their particular area of expertise. This can create a certain one-sidedness in thinking, which in turn can limit creativity and innovative problem solving.
What is a Pi Profile?
A Pi profile takes the T concept one step further. Here, the person not only has a broad knowledge and a specialist area, but two or more deep areas of knowledge. It is a person who combines the breadth of a generalist with expertise in several fields. This creates a more flexible, humble and holistic individual, who does not necessarily see all problems through a single lens, but can relate to different perspectives simultaneously.
A Pi profile is someone who, for example, has both depth in technology and design. They can understand and discuss both technical details and the user experience, which makes them especially valuable when developing products or services that are both technologically advanced and aesthetically pleasing.
Example of T-profile versus Pi-profile
1. Technology and Design
Let’s compare two individuals with broad generalist knowledge of digital trends, project management and innovation:
- The T-profile with depth in technology:
This person is an expert in understanding and implementing technical solutions. They can build robust and efficient systems and have the ability to solve technical problems quickly and efficiently. When a new digital service is about to be launched, this person is brilliant at ensuring that the infrastructure works, that all technical requirements are met and that the systems scale. - The Pi profile with depth in technology and design:
This person has the same technical understanding, but also adds design and user experience expertise. When developing a product, they not only ensure that it works technically, but also that it is intuitive and aesthetically pleasing to users. They can reason about both how the systems interact with each other on a technical level and how the user flow feels to the end customer. This allows them to make more holistic decisions that take into account both the capabilities and limitations of the technology as well as how it is experienced by the user.
2. Sustainability and Entrepreneurship
Now consider another comparison:
- The T-profile with depth in sustainability:
This person is an expert in sustainable practices, policies and technologies. They can navigate complex environmental issues and understand how companies can reduce their climate footprint or improve their social sustainability. When an organization wants to become more sustainable, this person can propose solutions based on the latest research and legislative requirements, and can help implement changes to make the company more environmentally conscious. - The Pi profile with depth in sustainability and entrepreneurship:
This person has the same knowledge of sustainability but also understands the financial and strategic aspects of business. When reviewing a company’s sustainability strategy, they can assess not only how to reduce environmental impact, but also how these changes affect the company’s bottom line, innovation and long-term growth. They can reason about how sustainable business models can increase profitability and create competitive advantage, making their advice much more versatile and practical for companies to implement.
The advantages of the Pi profile in practice
A Pi profile has the ability to analyze problems from multiple perspectives and thus avoids getting stuck in a single solution. This means that they are often more open to collaborating and experimenting with new ideas, as they can see multiple potential paths forward.
Examples from everyday life:
- Product development:
A T-profile who is deeply versed in technological development may see a technical solution as the most important aspect of a new product. A Pi profile with both technology and design in the bag, on the other hand, also sees how the product is used, and can understand why a solution that is technically brilliant does not necessarily work if it is not user-friendly. - Business decisions:
A T-profile who is an expert in sustainability can propose great environmental measures, but if they do not understand the financial realities of a company, the proposals risk being difficult to implement. A Pi profile with expertise in both sustainability and entrepreneurship, on the other hand, can develop strategies that are both good for the environment *and* for the company’s financial growth, making their solutions more feasible and long-term.
The Effect of the Pi Profile on Humility and Relevance
Another interesting aspect of the Pi profile is that this type of competence often leads to greater humility. By having deep knowledge in several fields, Pi profiles often realize how complex the world is. Instead of relating everything to a single area, they become better at understanding that there are many different ways to solve problems – and that different perspectives are necessary to reach the best solutions. They also tend to be more cooperative because they know they don’t have all the answers.
In this way, a Pi profile becomes not only a better problem solver, but also a better team player. They can communicate effectively with specialists from different fields and contribute to building bridges between different disciplines.
Pursuing a Pi profile means broadening your skills horizontally, while digging deeper into several areas of expertise. In an age where complex problems require interdisciplinary solutions, this type of competence can be crucial for success in the working life of the future. Pi profiles combine the advantages of broad generalist knowledge with deep expertise in multiple areas, making them both flexible and powerful in solving problems in a holistic and innovative way.
