Use of the Four Development Levels

In my current position I do not directly manage anyone. On one of my current projects I do work alongside a fellow teammate who is one level below me in terms of ranking. I am a Senior Specialist, and he is a Specialist. In the past two years since he has joined the team, he has had to learn new skills and processes. For example he has had to learn the terminology used in our project and about SQL and database work in general. Being from a largely non-technical background, he has struggled with learning and applying some of these skills. Since I work directly with him, he often comes to me for instruction, guidance, and advice. Oftentimes I’ve had to answer the same questions repeatedly or hold his hand through situations I know he has encountered and resolved before. Sioux’s presentation on the four development levels will help me with assisting this co-worker in the future.



The four development levels will be beneficial to aiding my co-worker in learning SQL. Since he does not know SQL well enough, I am the only one who can write reports for our clients. I work on other projects that require my attention and keep me busy so sometimes I get behind in my work. He would be able to help with these reports if he took the initiative to really learn SQL. It would also help improve his knowledge of databases. I think right now my co-worker is a D2 in this skill. When he first joined the group he was motivated to learn SQL. He took a pre-recorded webclass to get started. I had also sat with him and taught him some as well. He had low competence but high commitment (D1). This was about a year and a half ago and not much learning has occurred since. I realize now that he needed more directive behavior. Also, he probably felt the lack of support from our manager who in a team meeting said to him that he might not “take to” SQL. I believe this has pushed him into D2 where he has some competence but low commitment. A couple times I have suggested that he take the company’s SQL class that is taught by a live instructor. He is the only one on the team who has not taken it. Last week I learned that he instead signed up for a Dreamweaver class, which has nothing to do with our job. I need to be more direct about it and share with him the reasons he needs to take the class and learn SQL. And after the class be sure to sit with him to enforce what he has learned. I could use recent report requests to teach him and supervise his progress. For my “new skill” story I can share the challenges I encountered learning programming in college. Hopefully this will push him into D3 where I can be more supportive than directive, and ultimately lead him to D4.