Growth Framework for Engineering Success

This post delves into the creation of a comprehensive Growth Framework for engineering teams. It reimagines traditional career ladders by focusing on individual growth and equitable recognition.

Features

• Multi-Track Progression: Supports diverse skill paths in building, executing, supporting, and strengthening engineering capabilities.
• Transparent Evaluation: Implements a milestone-based rubric that recognizes consistent, impactful contributions across 16 tracks.
• Dynamic Conversation Cadence: Encourages continuous growth discussions through regular check-ins and actionable feedback.
• Appeals Process: Provides a structured mechanism for reconsideration, ensuring fairness and inclusivity.

Technologies

• Interactive Growth Tools: Visualize progression paths and assist in career planning.
• Milestone-Based Evaluation: Anchored in real-world examples to promote mastery and flexibility.
• Cloud Integration: Designed for scalability across engineering functions and team sizes.

How It Works

1. Framework Overview
   Engineers explore 16 tracks grouped into building, executing, supporting, and strengthening categories.
   Each track has five milestones, progressively harder, with clear descriptions and real-world examples.

2. Evaluation and Progression
   Points are earned by reaching milestones. Each milestone replaces the points of the preceding one, encouraging meaningful growth.
   Engineers engage in monthly check-ins to discuss progress and set actionable goals, reducing high-stakes stress.

3. Equity in Rewards
   Levels are derived from total points, aligning compensation with contribution and ensuring fairness.

4. Appeals and Iteration
   An appeals process allows engineers to challenge and refine their assessments collaboratively.

Why It’s Cool

This Growth Framework is revolutionary in its adaptability and fairness. It transcends the traditional rigidity of career ladders, creating an inclusive ecosystem where every engineer can find their unique path to success. It bridges individual aspirations with organizational needs, fostering innovation and excellence.

Getting Started

To implement a similar framework in your organization for your engineering teams

1. Define the key tracks and milestones relevant to your industry.
2. Establish a rubric with real-world examples for each milestone.
3. Introduce the "snowflake" growth app to visualize milestones.
4. Encourage monthly growth conversations referncing the growth app tool as a visual aid of growth and progression.
5. Ensure fairness through structured evaluations and an appeals process.
6. Provide regular check-ins for actionable feedback.
7. Check out the adaptation for the Product Growth Framework.

Tools

Growth Framework (.docx)

A foundational document that outlines the guiding principles, tracks, and milestones for team growth. It serves as the blueprint for personal development and organizational success, promoting equitable progression and transparent evaluation.

Download Growth Framework

Engineering Growth Rubric (.xlsx)

An interactive rubric detailing the milestones for engineers across 16 tracks. This tool helps visualize progress, set actionable goals, and align personal growth with organizational objectives.

Download Engineering Growth Rubric

Story of You (.docx)

A personalized narrative capturing an individual’s growth journey within the framework. It includes key milestones, achievements, and recommendations for future focus areas, serving as a career progression guide.

Download Story of You

Growth Framework Appeal Template (.docx)

A formalized template designed to support team members in appealing growth framework assessments. It provides a clear structure for presenting evidence, detailing milestones, and advocating for reconsideration, ensuring a fair and equitable review process.

Download Growth Framework Appeal Template

Snowflake Growth App

A web-based tool for tracking and visualizing progress across tracks and milestones. Built using modern web technologies, the app provides real-time insights and facilitates productive growth conversations. This tool was initially created by Medium and adapted for our purposes.

Snowflake Growth App Github Repo

Setting up the snowflake growth web app (based on the tool provided by Medium):

git clone `https://github.com/Hypercontext/snowflake`
cd snowflake
npm install -g yarn   //Get yarn if you don’t have it already:
yarn                  //Install dependencies:
yarn dev              //Running the dev server
yarn export           //Building

This will put a static version of the site in out/.

This Growth Framework exemplifies how intentional design can inspire teams to thrive collectively while supporting individual aspirations.