Employment Research Institute's Chief Executive Officer, A. Harrison Barnes, in a webinar as he analyzed and differentiated specific and general people; and discussed how your professional success depends on whether you understand yourself well and choose a workplace that harnesses your natural inclination.

Harrison believes that primarily, there are two types of people in the world – the specific and the general. General people are those whose basic approach towards work and life are very general; they are not interested in learning about details; and are concerned largely about the ‘bigger’ picture. Such people are more comfortable with a managerial role and prefer to be in an environment in which they understand tasks as a part of the overall work that the organization is doing. They will not tolerate being forced to explain small details.

In stark contrast to them are the specific people who typically prefer a lot of details, logical flow and order of information and are often not concerned with the big picture at all. If you are a specific person, you need to be working for a manager who explains tasks to you and provides you with a lot of details. Generalizations do not work with you and you need to understand the logical sequence in which the work has to be done. You are basically a meticulous person.

To be successful in your career, you need to understand whether you are a global or a specific type of person and be in a position that makes the most of your skill.