The Role of Learning

Don't get me wrong. I am not against continually improving your technical skills. Technical skills are the heart of what you do. They produce the results that earn you a paycheck. They are vital and will play a huge role in your overall career development strategy.

However, in my experience, the straight technical skills are seldom the problem in technology careers. Most technologists have some skills. They have, in fact, garnered talent and can put it to work.

Their career development, however, has become lopsided. They are similar to the body builder who spends hours in the gym developing his biceps and shoulders. After years of work, his arms are models of muscular perfection. But as you step back, you notice spindly legs that hardly seem able to hold up the rest of his frame. The technologist who works entirely on his technical skills while ignoring the rest of the package is similarly atrophied.