Your go-to professional growth model 

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

Whether you want to invest in your own professional development or that of your reports, the S-curve model can help. 

Finding the time and right approach to upskilling yourself or your team can be challenging, especially given the wider tech sphere’s push for “more with less.” 

The trick is to invest in training, delegation, and reflection in a timely fashion using the S-curve model. This approach supports growth trajectories across various contexts and is divided into three key stages: the launch point, the sweet spot, and the mastery phase.

The first stage of professional growth 

The first stage of the S-curve model is the launch point.  Those in this stage can be either in their early career or advanced specialists who want to dive into learning something new. 

Everything in the launch point stage feels unfamiliar, and so it’s natural to experience frustration and isolation. Here, the support of a mentor becomes crucial. 

To find one, you can turn to your line manager or ask the community, including mentoring programs, such as Rewriting the Code. 

The primary tools and approaches necessary in this phase are:

• 1:1 sessions: Regular check-ins with your mentor can help ensure you are on the right path. Use this time to seek guidance, ask questions, troubleshoot issues, and reflect on your progress.

• Courses and training: Enrol in courses that cater to your learning needs and work schedule. 

• Community engagement: Joining relevant communities, or even starting your own, allows you to connect with peers who face similar challenges. These types of networks provide both emotional support and practical advice.

Moving from the launch point into greater understanding

During the sweet spot stage, you’ll have enough essential knowledge to tackle real-life scenarios. Maintaining focus and regular self-check-ins are important, as confidence can sometimes lead us to take on more responsibilities than we can realistically handle, leading to burnout. 

This stage is about honing your skills while managing your energy wisely. Try to resist the urge to juggle everything simultaneously. Seek guidance from your mentor once again during this period, using 1:1s as a way to gain clarity on priorities. 

Other areas to keep your eye on are:

• Time and priorities management: getting a handle on time and priority management will help you avoid overcommitting to your goals. Invest in techniques like the Eisenhower Matrix, the Eat the Frog Method, time blocking, and creating detailed estimations for each task so you won’t overcommit.  
• Delegation: learn the art of delegation. A simple ABCDE method should suffice here. List your tasks and order them according to their levels of importance and urgency:
  • A-level tasks: high priority, high urgency, that you have to do first.
  • B-level tasks: medium priority, medium urgency, that you will pick up next.
  • C-level tasks: low priority, high urgency. You can proceed with them after A and B.
  • D-level tasks: low priority, low urgency. Tasks that you can delegate.
  • E-level tasks: zero priority, zero urgency. Ones you can eliminate and forget.

By following these rules, you can better balance your workload, prevent burnout, and move onto the mastery phase with ease.

When your skill mastery becomes realized

In the mastery phase, your understanding of a given area will become profound: you now have the necessary skills and knowledge to tackle challenges with confidence. Tasks may feel effortless, which can even (eventually) lead to a sense of boredom due to a lack of new challenges. 

Recognizing mastery and any subsequent feelings of indifference to work signifies the perfect opportunity to embark on a new loop within the S-curve model. However, before initiating your next journey, it’s important to properly conclude the current cycle. Utilize the following approaches to facilitate this transition:

• Reflection and retrospection. Conduct a reflection session to assess your experiences, gather lessons learned, and draw meaningful conclusions. You can use:
  • The STAR method. Useful for structuring reflections about past experiences.
  • The four F’s method. A concise framework for summarizing reflections.
  • Or you can have a retro session with your mentor to compare achievements with the initial plans.

• Acknowledge achievements. Take time to celebrate your successes. Recognizing your accomplishments reinforces positive growth and motivation. Reward yourself in a way that resonates with you, so you have something to look forward to when you begin your next challenge.

• Rest and recharge. Allow yourself a period of rest to recharge before diving into new challenges. Every challenge is important for development, but so is “peace time,” as it gives you an opportunity to truly internalize your development. 

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When you are ready to embark on a new cycle, consider your future goals and clarify the motivations behind them. Discuss your goals with your mentor to be sure you’re putting yourself on the right path to success. Defining your goals clearly will set a solid foundation for your new journey, enabling you to engage in yet another challenging chapter of your personal or professional growth.

Final thoughts 

Challenges push us to step out of our comfort zone and gain new skills and knowledge. By understanding the S-curve model and balancing challenges and leisure, we can make our professional and personal lives exciting, without ever tipping into burnout territory.