First, the Pace Layers
Based on a few different frameworks, these 18 Organizational Pace Layers help visualize, distinguish, and discuss different kinds of work within an organization. At the top of the chart is work with leverage that only lasts a few months – things like execution of highly specific work. At the bottom of the chart is work with leverage that can last a few decades – things like establishing the purpose of the firm.
Each layer here is distinct from ideas like effort, role, or expense: it can be very easy/quick to set corporate purpose; it can take a year to create a marketing campaign according to a preset spec; you might work with very expensive vendors to produce and execute plans.
Next, the Skills Maturity Matrix
Coming up on 10 years ago, we created a Skills Maturity Matrix for Strategists at Undercurrent. It's got some flaws – insert flaws here – but I think people generally found it useful.
When we originally built the tool, the idea was that we were shooting for "Best at Undercurrent" at "Level 7" and that "best in world" was represented by "Level 9." One of the clunkiest bits of putting this thing into practice was that it wasn't really clear what was required of someone to move between pay grades. Before Undercurrent's untimely demise, we almost made a better version that included something similar to Pace Layers:
