Exercise 2: The Tier Assessment
What you're doing: Placing yourself honestly on the four-tier pyramid using evidence, not aspirations.
Time estimate: 30–45 minutes
Instructions:
Get another document. Write the four tiers at the top:
- Tier 1: Employee — I have the required skills and execute them reliably.
- Tier 2: Good Employee — I also fit the culture, show up consistently, and move teams forward.
- Tier 3: Great Employee — I also learn quickly, adapt as goals shift, and acquire new skills as needed.
- Tier 4: Invaluable Employee — I also multiply the whole team's capability and make people around me better.
Now, honestly place yourself. Not where you want to be. Where you actually are. That might mean you're firmly in Tier 2 and not moving into Tier 3. That's a real assessment.
For each tier up to and including where you've placed yourself, write one sentence of evidence. Not wishes or potential. Evidence. What have you actually done that proves you're in that tier?
Examples:
"Tier 1: I can write code that ships every week, and the tests pass."
"Tier 2: The team asks me for help even when they don't have to. People are easier in meetings when I'm there."
"Tier 3: When the tech stack changed, I spent a week learning it and led the migration without being asked."
Now, the harder question: what would moving up one tier require? Not in six months. Right now. What's the gap between where you are and Tier N+1?
Be specific. Not "I need to be a better leader." What specifically? Better at making decisions without full information? Better at pulling people upward in meetings? Better at recognizing talent? Better at learning quickly?
What you're building toward: understanding what the actual ceiling is on your current tier, and what moves the needle on advancement.