EPISODE · Jan 13, 2026 · 28 MIN
Career Growth Accelerator - Assessing Yourself - Using a Nine-Block to Map Your Skill, Potential, and Energy Investment
from Developer Tea · host Jonathan Cutrell
🎧 Episode Notes: Using a Nine-Block for Skill, Potential, and Energy InvestmentMost career assessments try to paint a static picture of what you can do well with the least effort, but they often fail to provide a practical roadmap for your next career move. This episode provides a simplified, multidimensional version of a classic management tool to help you prioritise your growth:Understand the Nine-block Matrix: Visualise a grid where the x-axis represents your current performance (how well you are doing now) and the y-axis represents your potential (your capacity to grow to the next level).The Energy Dimension: Go beyond a 2D map by evaluating the energy cost of each skill on a scale of 1–5; this helps you identify where you are on "autopilot" versus where a skill is draining you.The Risk Factor: Assign a risk or criticality score to your skills to determine which are "fundamental" to your role (like software delivery) and which can be safely dropped to make room for more valuable growth.Spot Opportunity Flags: Identify areas where you have high potential but low performance and low energy output; these represent your best opportunities for rapid improvement with the least input.Make the Counterintuitive Trade-off: Learn why you might need to drop a skill you are already good at if it has low growth potential, redirecting that energy toward a new skill that offers higher long-term value for your career.Categorise Your "Bread and Butter" Skills: Recognise those mid-level skills that ensure your reliability and help you get the job done but shouldn't be the primary focus of your intense energy and development.📮 Ask a QuestionIf you enjoyed this episode and would like me to discuss a question that you have on the show, drop it over at: developertea.com.📮 Join the DiscordIf you want to be a part of a supportive community of engineers (non-engineers welcome!) working to improve their lives and careers, join us on the Developer Tea Discord community today! I am in there as well, and you can message me directly.🧡 Leave a ReviewIf you're enjoying the show and want to support the content, head over to iTunes and leave a review! It helps other developers discover the show and keeps us focused on what matters to you.
What this episode covers
Evaluating what you are uniquely good at is more than just making a list of your current skills; it requires looking at your past, your future potential, and what actually energises you. In this episode, I introduce a practical tool called the Nine-block to help you map out your skills across performance and potential, while adding critical dimensions of energy and risk to help you break through career stagnation.
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Career Growth Accelerator - Assessing Yourself - Using a Nine-Block to Map Your Skill, Potential, and Energy Investment
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