Specialisation? Ask the Ants! (9)

To specialise means to become more focused on an area of activity or to become more specific and suitable for a special purpose. You are considered to be a specialist when you acquire skills, ability, knowledge and experience unique to an area. It is good to be able to do several things well but it is far better to be able to do a few things or even a single thing excellently.

Success in any area in life always requires a niche. There are hundreds of thousands of people doing the same job but only the few exceptional ones stand out. To be exceptional requires exceptional efforts and that doesn’t come by trying your hand on every job or business that comes your way. When I mention the names of some outstanding people such as Bill Gates, Michael Jordan, Albert Einstein, Michael Jackson and Barak Obama, a specific picture comes to your mind. That picture is their niche and that is why they are unforgettable.

Ants have great wisdom when it comes to specialisation. Scientists consider the grass-cutter ants the most complex of all ant states because of their level of specialisation. The first specialists among these ants are the cutter ants. They do nothing but to cut through tough leaves. The second specialists are the transport ants. They move the chopped stems to the ant colony. Here’s why you need to specialise like the ants: Continue