Advancing Talent Development

Introduction

Grasping the Foundations for Understanding the T-professional Model

Philip Gardner and James Spohrer

Introduction

The rapid expansion of computer technology into all facets of our lives prompted David Guest (1991), a prominent technology consultant and observer, to advocate for a different type of computer professional that he described as a T-professional: a rounded personality sought in other branches of the same theory, which prizes individuals known as T-people. Tim Brown of IDEO, an early disciple of the T, strongly argued for the T-professional who has principal skill areas or expertise augmented by an ability to branch to other skills (Brown 2005, 2009, 2010). The advantage of the T is having an individual who could explore, ...