Manage Your Organization as a Portfolio of Learning Curves

As people develop competence in a new domain of expertise, they move along an S Curve: Growth is slow and effortful at the outset, or launch point. It then progresses rapidly as people acquire new skills in a stretch known as the sweet spot. At the peak is mastery, when work becomes easier but the curve flattens. Understanding where your employees are on this S Curve of Learning will help you coach them appropriately, craft thoughtful succession plans, and build a team with diverse but complementary strengths. The S Curve is a tool that smart managers use to launch conversations with their reports and create tailored development plans for them. It reveals when people are ready for bigger challenges—something that’s especially critical if they’re in mastery, which may mean they’re getting restless and need to jump to a new S Curve. Often the employees don’t even realize they’re ready to take the leap, but their managers push them anyway. When that happens, it’s key to surround an employee with the right supporting team. A good team will include members from all phases of the curve, who can contribute diverse perspectives and skills.

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