Growth & Development Skill

Purpose

Provide engineering managers with comprehensive frameworks for career development, engineering ladders, individual development plans, succession planning, and building mentoring programs.

Primary Bond

Agent: growth-development-agent Relationship: This skill provides career ladder templates, IDP frameworks, and development tools that the agent uses.

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Templates

Engineering Career Ladder

engineering_ladder:
  individual_contributor_track:
    L1_junior_engineer:
      scope: "Task"
      experience: "0-2 years"
      expectations:
        - "Completes well-defined tasks with guidance"
        - "Learning codebase and practices"
        - "Asks good questions"
        - "Responds well to feedback"
      technical_skills:
        - "Fundamentals of primary language/framework"
        - "Basic debugging and testing"
        - "Version control basics"
      behaviors:
        - "Eager to learn"
        - "Communicates blockers"
        - "Follows team practices"

    L2_engineer:
      scope: "Feature"
      experience: "2-4 years"
      expectations:
        - "Owns features end-to-end"
        - "Writes production-quality code"
        - "Participates in code reviews"
        - "Mentors juniors informally"
      technical_skills:
        - "Proficient in primary stack"
        - "Understands system architecture"
        - "Writes comprehensive tests"
      behaviors:
        - "Self-directed"
        - "Proactive communication"
        - "Contributes to team discussions"

    L3_senior_engineer:
      scope: "System"
      experience: "4-7 years"
      expectations:
        - "Designs and delivers complex systems"
        - "Influences technical direction"
        - "Mentors multiple engineers"
        - "Improves team practices"
      technical_skills:
        - "Expert in primary domain"
        - "Cross-functional knowledge"
        - "Performance and scaling"
      behaviors:
        - "Technical leadership"
        - "Drives consensus"
        - "Identifies and mitigates risks"

    L4_staff_engineer:
      scope: "Multi-team"
      experience: "7-10 years"
      expectations:
        - "Leads cross-team technical initiatives"
        - "Sets technical strategy"
        - "Builds organizational capability"
        - "Influences beyond immediate team"
      technical_skills:
        - "Architectural expertise"
        - "Technology evaluation"
        - "Technical debt strategy"
      behaviors:
        - "Organizational influence"
        - "Strategic thinking"
        - "Develops other senior engineers"

    L5_principal_engineer:
      scope: "Organization"
      experience: "10+ years"
      expectations:
        - "Shapes company-wide technical direction"
        - "Solves ambiguous, high-impact problems"
        - "Represents company externally"
        - "Creates lasting organizational impact"
      technical_skills:
        - "Industry-recognized expertise"
        - "Innovation leadership"
        - "Technical vision"
      behaviors:
        - "Executive partnership"
        - "Industry influence"
        - "Develops staff engineers"

  management_track:
    M1_engineering_manager:
      scope: "Team (5-8 engineers)"
      experience: "5+ years engineering + management interest"
      expectations:
        - "Hires, develops, retains engineers"
        - "Delivers team commitments"
        - "Creates healthy team culture"
        - "Runs effective processes"
      people_skills:
        - "1-on-1s and feedback"
        - "Performance management"
        - "Hiring and interviewing"
      technical_involvement:
        - "Technical context, not coding"
        - "Architectural input"
        - "Code review occasionally"

    M2_senior_engineering_manager:
      scope: "Large team (8-12) or 2 teams"
      experience: "2+ years as EM"
      expectations:
        - "Manages managers or large team"
        - "Drives significant initiatives"
        - "Develops other managers"
        - "Partners with product leadership"
      people_skills:
        - "Coaching managers"
        - "Organizational design"
        - "Conflict resolution"

    M3_director:
      scope: "Department (20-50 engineers)"
      experience: "4+ years management"
      expectations:
        - "Sets department strategy"
        - "Manages multiple teams"
        - "Executive partnership"
        - "Org-wide influence"
      leadership_skills:
        - "Strategic planning"
        - "Budget management"
        - "Cross-functional leadership"

Individual Development Plan (IDP)

individual_development_plan:
  metadata:
    employee: "{Name}"
    current_level: "{Level}"
    target_level: "{Level}"
    manager: "{Manager name}"
    created: "{Date}"
    review_date: "{Date}"

  career_vision:
    long_term: "Where do you want to be in 5 years?"
    medium_term: "What's your 2-year goal?"
    short_term: "What's your focus this year?"

  current_assessment:
    strengths:
      - skill: "{Technical or soft skill}"
        evidence: "{How this shows up in work}"
        leverage_plan: "{How to use this more}"

    growth_areas:
      - skill: "{Skill to develop}"
        current_state: "{Where you are now}"
        target_state: "{Where you need to be}"
        gap: "{What's missing}"

  development_goals:
    goal_1:
      description: "{Specific, measurable goal}"
      category: "{technical | leadership | communication | domain}"
      success_criteria: "{How we'll know it's achieved}"
      timeline: "{By when}"
      actions:
        - action: "{Specific step}"
          deadline: "{Date}"
          resources: "{Training, mentor, project}"
          status: "{not_started | in_progress | completed}"

    goal_2:
      description: ""
      category: ""
      success_criteria: ""
      timeline: ""
      actions: []

    goal_3:
      description: ""
      category: ""
      success_criteria: ""
      timeline: ""
      actions: []

  development_methods:
    learning_mix:
      experience: "70% - stretch assignments, projects"
      exposure: "20% - mentoring, shadowing, networking"
      education: "10% - courses, reading, conferences"

    specific_opportunities:
      stretch_assignments: []
      mentors_sponsors: []
      training_courses: []
      conferences_events: []

  support_needed:
    from_manager:
      - "{Specific support}"
    from_organization:
      - "{Resources, training, opportunities}"
    from_mentors:
      - "{Guidance areas}"

  check_in_schedule:
    frequency: "Monthly"
    next_review: "{Date}"
    progress_notes: []

Succession Planning Framework

succession_planning:
  critical_roles:
    - role: "{Role title}"
      current_holder: "{Name}"
      risk_level: "{low | medium | high | critical}"
      risk_factors:
        - "{Single point of knowledge}"
        - "{Flight risk}"
        - "{Upcoming retirement}"

      succession_candidates:
        ready_now:
          - name: "{Name}"
            strengths: []
            gaps: []
            development_plan: ""

        ready_1_2_years:
          - name: "{Name}"
            strengths: []
            gaps: []
            development_plan: ""

        ready_3_5_years:
          - name: "{Name}"
            strengths: []
            gaps: []
            development_plan: ""

      knowledge_transfer:
        documented: []
        in_progress: []
        needed: []

  talent_matrix:
    dimensions:
      performance: "Current job performance (1-5)"
      potential: "Future growth potential (1-5)"

    quadrants:
      stars:
        criteria: "High performance + High potential"
        actions:
          - "Accelerated development"
          - "Visible stretch assignments"
          - "Executive exposure"
          - "Retention focus"

      solid_performers:
        criteria: "High performance + Lower potential"
        actions:
          - "Recognize and reward"
          - "Deepen expertise"
          - "Consider lateral moves"
          - "Knowledge sharing role"

      high_potentials:
        criteria: "Developing performance + High potential"
        actions:
          - "Intensive coaching"
          - "Skill development"
          - "Patience with mistakes"
          - "Clear expectations"

      core_contributors:
        criteria: "Developing performance + Lower potential"
        actions:
          - "Clear expectations"
          - "Training if gaps"
          - "Right role fit?"
          - "Support or transition"

  review_cadence:
    full_review: "Annually"
    talent_discussions: "Quarterly"
    development_check_ins: "Monthly"

Skill Gap Analysis

skill_gap_analysis:
  team_assessment:
    team: "{Team name}"
    assessment_date: "{Date}"
    assessor: "{Name}"

  skill_inventory:
    technical_skills:
      - skill: "{Programming language}"
        required_level: "{1-5}"
        team_coverage:
          - member: "{Name}"
            level: "{1-5}"
        gap_score: null
        criticality: "{low | medium | high}"

      - skill: "{Framework/Tool}"
        required_level: ""
        team_coverage: []
        gap_score: null
        criticality: ""

    domain_skills:
      - skill: "{Domain knowledge}"
        required_level: ""
        team_coverage: []
        gap_score: null
        criticality: ""

    soft_skills:
      - skill: "{Communication, leadership, etc.}"
        required_level: ""
        team_coverage: []
        gap_score: null
        criticality: ""

  gap_analysis:
    critical_gaps:
      - skill: ""
        current_state: ""
        required_state: ""
        impact: ""
        mitigation:
          short_term: "{Hire, contract, partner}"
          long_term: "{Train, develop}"

    moderate_gaps:
      - skill: ""
        development_plan: ""

    nice_to_have:
      - skill: ""
        opportunistic_development: ""

  action_plan:
    hiring_needs: []
    training_investments: []
    mentoring_pairs: []
    knowledge_sharing: []

Mentoring Program Framework

mentoring_program:
  program_structure:
    name: "{Program name}"
    duration: "{6 months recommended}"
    cadence: "Bi-weekly 30-60 min sessions"

  matching_criteria:
    mentor_requirements:
      - "2+ levels above mentee"
      - "Different reporting chain preferred"
      - "Relevant experience to goals"
      - "Commitment to development"

    mentee_requirements:
      - "Clear development goals"
      - "Commitment to process"
      - "Open to feedback"
      - "Willingness to be vulnerable"

  program_phases:
    kickoff:
      duration: "Session 1"
      activities:
        - "Get to know each other"
        - "Share backgrounds and goals"
        - "Set expectations"
        - "Agree on logistics"
      outputs:
        - "Mentoring agreement signed"
        - "Goals documented"
        - "Schedule set"

    development:
      duration: "Sessions 2-10"
      activities:
        - "Work on development goals"
        - "Share experiences and advice"
        - "Provide feedback"
        - "Connect to opportunities"
      typical_topics:
        - "Career navigation"
        - "Technical challenges"
        - "Leadership development"
        - "Organizational dynamics"

    wrap_up:
      duration: "Sessions 11-12"
      activities:
        - "Review progress on goals"
        - "Celebrate achievements"
        - "Plan for continued growth"
        - "Provide program feedback"

  success_metrics:
    mentee_outcomes:
      - "Goal achievement rate"
      - "Promotion rate"
      - "Engagement scores"
      - "Retention rate"

    program_health:
      - "Match completion rate"
      - "NPS from participants"
      - "Session attendance"
      - "Repeat participation"

---

Decision Trees

Promotion Readiness Assessment

Promotion consideration
|
+-- Consistently meeting current level expectations?
|   +-- No -> Not ready, focus on current level
|   +-- Yes -> Continue
|
+-- Demonstrating next-level behaviors?
|   +-- Rarely -> Not ready, create IDP
|   +-- Sometimes -> Almost ready, targeted development
|   +-- Consistently -> Continue
|
+-- Scope and impact at next level?
|   +-- No opportunities yet -> Create stretch assignments
|   +-- Has delivered at scope -> Continue
|
+-- Peer and stakeholder feedback positive?
|   +-- Concerns -> Address feedback, reassess
|   +-- Strong support -> Ready to promote

IC vs Management Track Decision

Career direction question
|
+-- What energizes them?
|   +-- Solving hard technical problems -> IC track
|   +-- Helping others succeed -> Consider management
|   +-- Both -> Explore tech lead role first
|
+-- What's their impact style?
|   +-- Individual mastery -> IC track
|   +-- Multiplier through others -> Management track
|
+-- How do they handle ambiguity?
|   +-- Prefer well-defined problems -> IC track
|   +-- Comfortable with people complexity -> Management track
|
+-- Are they willing to let go of coding?
|   +-- No -> IC track (even at Staff+)
|   +-- Yes -> Management viable

---

Anti-Patterns

anti_patterns:
  promotion_as_retention:
    symptom: "Promoting to prevent someone from leaving"
    remedy:
      - "Separate promotion from retention discussions"
      - "Promote when ready, not when threatening"
      - "Find other retention levers if not ready"

  peter_principle:
    symptom: "Promoting until incompetent"
    remedy:
      - "Assess readiness for next level, not current performance"
      - "Trial periods for new responsibilities"
      - "Safe path back if not working"

  neglecting_solid_performers:
    symptom: "All attention on high potentials"
    remedy:
      - "Recognize and value steady contributors"
      - "Create growth within level"
      - "Don't force everyone to climb"

  one_size_fits_all:
    symptom: "Same IDP template for everyone"
    remedy:
      - "Personalize to individual goals"
      - "Multiple paths to senior levels"
      - "Accommodate different learning styles"

  mentoring_without_structure:
    symptom: "Assigned mentors but no framework"
    remedy:
      - "Provide training for mentors"
      - "Set clear expectations"
      - "Regular check-ins on progress"

---

Quick Reference Cards

Development Conversation Starters

conversation_starters:
  aspirations:
    - "Where do you see yourself in 2-3 years?"
    - "What kind of work gives you energy?"
    - "What would your ideal role look like?"

  strengths:
    - "What are you most proud of this year?"
    - "What do others come to you for?"
    - "When do you feel most confident?"

  growth:
    - "What skills would make you more effective?"
    - "What's holding you back from the next level?"
    - "What feedback have you received that stuck with you?"

  support:
    - "What do you need from me to grow?"
    - "What opportunities would help your development?"
    - "Who else should you be learning from?"

Level Transition Indicators

From	To	Key Indicators
Junior	Mid	Independent on features, consistent quality
Mid	Senior	System-level thinking, mentoring others
Senior	Staff	Cross-team influence, strategic thinking
IC	Manager	People focus, letting go of individual work

70-20-10 Development Mix

70% - Experience (On-the-job)
  - Stretch assignments
  - New projects
  - Cross-functional work
  - Leading initiatives

20% - Exposure (Learning from others)
  - Mentoring relationships
  - Shadowing senior folks
  - Networking
  - Feedback conversations

10% - Education (Formal learning)
  - Courses and certifications
  - Books and articles
  - Conferences
  - Internal training

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Troubleshooting

Problem	Root Cause	Solution
Unclear promotion criteria	Vague level expectations	Define observable behaviors per level
Stagnant careers	No development focus	Regular IDP discussions, stretch assignments
Poor mentor matches	Random pairing	Structured matching based on goals
High attrition of high potentials	Not developing fast enough	Accelerated development programs
Skill gaps not addressed	No systematic assessment	Annual skill gap analysis

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Validation Rules

input_validation:
  development_goal:
    type: string
    min_length: 10
    required: true

  current_level:
    type: enum
    values: [junior, mid, senior, staff, principal, manager, senior_manager, director]
    required: false

  target_level:
    type: enum
    values: [junior, mid, senior, staff, principal, manager, senior_manager, director]
    required: false

  timeline:
    type: enum
    values: [6_months, 1_year, 2_years, 3_years, 5_years]
    required: false

---

Resources

Books:

• The Manager's Path - Camille Fournier
• An Elegant Puzzle - Will Larson
• Staff Engineer - Will Larson
• The Making of a Manager - Julie Zhuo

Frameworks:

• Engineering Ladders (various companies)
• 70-20-10 Learning Model
• 9-Box Talent Matrix
• Mentoring Best Practices (ATD)

Research:

• Center for Creative Leadership research
• Deloitte High-Impact Learning Culture
• Gallup strengths-based development