My Skill Set

I read this quote today and determined it did in fact summarize my job:

In order to penetrate even farther into their subject, the host of specialists narrow their field and dig down deeper and deeper till they can't see each other. but the treasures their toil brings to light they place on the ground above. A different kind of specialist should be sitting there, the one still missing. He should not go down any hole, but would stay on top and piece all of the different facts together. - Thor Heverdahl, 1960

First of all let me say I love the fact that the guy's name is Thor. I mean honestly how many Thor's have you met in your life? That, however, is the not the point. The point is that I determined while sitting in a presentation today allowing my brain to piece together where that new information fit in the web of random information already in there what my actual skill set it. My skill set is taking mass quantities of information and distilling it down to the core conclusions. And thus the determination that in fact Thor's suggestion of what we need is in fact what I can do. And I can do it quite naturally really, I did not learn this skill, while I have honed it over the years apparently I was just born with it.

There is just one problem with this skill set. Taking mass quantities of information and pulling out the threads between them and important bits of take home messages is VERY time consuming. And while it is job insurance in some aspects that my skill set is needed more and more, it comes with a price. More of a very time consuming thing, leaves less time for other time consuming things. And so since the majority of what I do best is time consuming it seems as though I become less and less effective at it the more of it I'm asked to do.

So, I shall return to compiling the tiny tidbits from the mass of documents that I'm working on right now and then I'm heading home for some sushi, some ice cream, and a good night's sleep!