Learning

level 8

• makes little or no effort to learn anything new
• Takes no risks that depend on her own knowledge or ability to learn
• Does not follow any tech leaders or technologies or read any magazines
• Does not keep a notebook or takes notes when working on projects to keep track of new ideas or learning progress
• Is unable to summarize or re-state an idea or concept
• Is unable to identify possible (secondary) consequences of using one technology or approach (vs. another)
• Productivity depends fully on others pre-processing tasks and breaking them down into tiny steps rather than being able to do that herself
• Programs by trail and error (programming in the dark)

level 9

• follows some technology leaders on Twitter et al
• Takes notes in a notebook when working on a project
• Can posit possible consequences of following one technology path or another

level 10

• reads books
• subscribes to tech blogs
• has done some online courses
• Takes copious notes when working on projects
• Takes risks from time to time to test ideas and expectations

Knows when to ask for help when they are becoming stuck; does not go down rabbit holes.

level 11

• seeks input / feedback from others e.g. pull requests, sharing screens, code in Slack etc.
• incorporates that feedback into toolbox and skillset
• Self motivated, will teach themselves new skills when aware of a lack of knowledge
• At this level, learning begins to include “soft skills” (how to run a meeting, how to express yourself clearly in writing, etc.)

level 12

• tests new ideas by sharing inside company
• experiments (and documents results) like this https://css-tricks.com/radeventlistener-a-tale-of-client-side-framework-performance/
• writes the occassional blog post (as an exercise in organizing one’s thoughts)
• presents regularly at local meetups and conferences
• formalize your internal knowledge in an external format (get your knowledge out of your brain)
• Seeks to understand the roles and responsibilities of others to try and find ways to make them more successful

level 13

Someone who actively self learns and regularly trains others.

• regularly writes blog posts / participates in open source projects
• actively mentors / teaches others
• committed to a self-study program

The act of sharing what you know requires that you first organize your knowledge. If you can do this without writing, that’s fine. Writing, however, is considered to be the pinnacle of sharing because it requires the most thought and effort (by many) and preparing anything in writing forces you to deeply understand something.