Hybrids integrate identities while multipotentialites have multiple identities- which one are you?

Let’s set the record straight. There are three different types of professional identity in the workforce. The commonly known types are singularity (meaning experts and specialists), and multiplicity (meaning generalists or multi-talented). The third type, hybridity, is missing.

It’s time we add hybridity to our list of professional options because workers are struggling to be seen and valued for combining their identities together. Most professionals don’t know to call themselves a hybrid professional because they’ve never heard of it before.

The difference between multipotentialites and hybrids is that hybrids connect their identities together.

Hybridity is when a professional integrates their professional identities and works from the intersections of those identities. That’s a one-of-a-kind marriage of skills, attributes, and talents that’s highly unique. Hybridity is desperately needed for the future workplace where more roles are being hybridized as more services are automated and outsourced.

Terms such as multipotentialite are helpful, and many people have started using it. However, being a multipotentialite means you “have many different interests and creative pursuits” and no one true calling. As the term suggests, you are “multi-potential”.

The relationships between different professional identities is what creates value and makes hybrids stand out from the crowd.

The demand for hybrid jobs is growing. The world is combining digital and physical technologies, hard and soft skills, and more interdisciplinary methods. When two unrelated identities or professions blend together, something new is formed at the intersection. That’s where hybridity exists. Even if we don’t know what to call a hybrid job or job title, at a bare minimum, we need to use the term hybrid to identify that’s what we mean.

Being a hybrid is about integration of multiple professional identities. That’s a step beyond having many identities.

We live in a world where people aren’t only one professional identity. By using binary language, we limit the way we talk and think about ourselves.

What type of professional are you? If you’re a hybrid professional, then tell people that. Simply introduce yourself as a hybrid professional when you meet someone, and then give a one sentence explanation about the relationships between your professional identities. This will help them understand how your identities fit together.

From my research, I know that the term hybrid professional quickly resonates, and it empowers professionals to own all of their identities as a full set. Your hybridity is who you really are. It’s your true professional self.

I’ve been researching and studying hybrid professionals in the workforce for nearly 10 years, and I would love to hear from you. Join my newsletter or find more information here: https://www.morethanmytitle.com/